Traumatic injuries

Any injury to the teeth, gums, lips, or face is considered a dental injury. Any type of dental injury should be treated immediately by a dentist. If you experience a dental injury, make sure you see a dentist right away.

What Causes Dental Injuries?

There are a multitude of ways that your teeth can be damaged. Some are caused by the wear and tear of daily life, while others are caused by accidents.

Traumatic injuries to teeth make up about 15 percent of all dental injuries. The causes of dental injuries include falls, motor vehicle accidents, sports injuries, fights, and blows to the face. Traumatic injuries to teeth can happen during any athletic or recreational activity. Sports such as hockey, football, basketball, baseball, skateboarding, and biking are associated with many dental injuries.

The dental injuries can include:

• Dislodged or knocked out teeth
• Fractured teeth
• Tooth intrusion
• Dental avulsion (teeth completely knocked out).

These injuries can result in pain, swelling, bruising, and bleeding. Dental injuries that are untreated can result in long-term damage to the teeth and gums and impact the way the teeth function. If a patient has a fractured tooth, then proper restorative treatment is necessary to bring the tooth back to proper function.

Preventing Dental Injuries

The best way to prevent dental injuries is to maintain a good dental health routine as recommended by your dentist.

• Brush and floss your teeth at least twice a day.
• Eat a healthy diet and avoid sugary foods.
• Avoid chewing on hard items such as ice, fingernails, pencils, pens, and ice cubes.
• Wear a seatbelt while driving or riding in a vehicle.
• Don’t use your teeth as a tool.
• If you have braces, avoid chewing on hard foods, sticky foods, and candy.

Mouthguards To Prevent Traumatic Dental Injuries

Wear a mouthguard when playing sports or engaging in an activity where the risk of falling or head contact is possible. A mouthguard is a protective device for the mouth that covers the teeth. Mouthguards are used to prevent injury to the teeth, arches, lips, gums, and cheeks. The main benefit of wearing a mouthguard during sports is to prevent injury to the soft tissues of the mouth. Mouthguards can help prevent injuries to the lips, tongue, cheeks, and gums. Mouthguards can also help reduce the risk of broken teeth. Mouthguards can help buffer the teeth from serious injuries, such as concussions.

Mouthguards can also help reduce the symptoms of temporomandibular joint disorders (TMD). Some symptoms of TMD can include headaches, jaw pain, neck pain, and tooth pain.

If you are involved in sports, it is recommended that you wear a mouthguard to prevent injuries to the soft tissues of the mouth.

Treatment of Dental Injuries

Traumatic dental injuries are injuries that affect the teeth, gums, tongue, lips, and other oral tissues. Treatment for these types of injuries commonly involves endodontic therapy, which includes treatments such as root canals, tooth extractions, and fillings. These treatments help treat dental injuries and restore the function of the mouth. When a tooth is knocked out, the dentist will first need to ensure that there is no bone, tissue, or nerve damage. If all of those things are fine, the dentist will then attempt to reinsert the tooth. If the tooth cannot be reinserted, the dentist may suggest tooth replacement solutions.

To learn more about the procedures offered at Short & Vlosich Family Dental, call us at (806) 374-8011 or visit our dental office located at 3503 S Soncy Rd, Amarillo, TX 79119.