TRAUMATIC TOOTH INJURY

in Cedar Hill, Texas

Traumatic Tooth Injury Treatment in Cedar Hill, TX

Traumatic tooth injuries often occur due to accidents or sports mishaps. These include chipped, dislodged, or knocked-out teeth. Tooth injuries don't always appear as serious as they may be, and without a prompt evaluation, you risk the chance of complications. If your dentist recommends seeing an Endodontist, Dr. Taylor and his team at DnA Endodontics are fully equipped and prepared to provide you with the needed emergency care for the best possible outcomes.

Boy Having traumatic tooth injury treatment

Why Choose an Endodontist for Traumatic Tooth Injury Care?

Endodontists are dentists who specialize in providing emergency care for traumatic tooth injuries. They have the advanced training, skill, techniques, and technologies to save damaged teeth, assisting your dentist in restoring them to their full function. If you have a knocked-out or injured tooth, contact your dentist right away. If it is determined that you need a root canal or other endodontic care, we offer flexibility in accommodating emergency cases. We are here for you, ready to relieve your discomfort and help restore your pain-free, functional smile.

What Are Traumatic Tooth Injuries and How Are they Treated?

Here are the most common traumatic dental injuries and some of the treatment options:

Knocked-Out (Avulsed) Tooth: Ideally, a knocked-out tooth should receive treatment within an hour of injury, so make sure to contact your dentist right away. Meanwhile, you can take a few steps to increase the chances of saving the tooth. Handle the tooth very carefully without touching the root surface and try to slide it back into its socket. If that's not possible, place it in a small container of milk with a pinch of salt to keep it moist and take it with you to your general dentist's office.

During your visit, your dentist will determine whether the tooth has a chance to be saved. If so, the tooth will be placed back into the socket and stabilized using a splint for a few weeks. Depending on the root's development stage, you may require a root canal treatment, which is Dr. Taylor's area of expertise.

Dislodged (Luxated) Tooth: A dislodged tooth is one that's been pushed out of its normal position due to trauma. Your dentist will reposition the tooth and stabilize it. If the pulp is healthy, no more intervention may be necessary. However, if there's tooth pulp damage, the dislodged tooth will require root canal therapy to ensure proper healing. If root canal therapy is needed, Dr. Taylor and his team at DnA Endodontics are more than capable of taking care of you.

Root Fractures: Dental trauma may lead to horizontal or vertical root fractures. The closer a fracture is to the tip of the root, the better the chances of survival. A fracture near a tooth's chewing surface poses more of a challenge to repair. If you sustain a horizontal root fracture, your dentist may prescribe stabilization with a splint. If the pulp tissue is damaged, they may refer you to Dr. Taylor for root canal therapy.

Chipped or Fractured Tooth: A minor chip is easily repaired using a restorative procedure. If, however, a chip or fracture reaches the tooth pulp, endodontic treatment, including root canal therapy, may be necessary to save the tooth. Fractured cusps and incomplete crown fractures are two examples of traumatic injuries that require root canal therapy. Dr. Taylor will evaluate the affected tooth and recommend the best treatment option.

Children's Traumatic Tooth Injury: If a child knocks out a primary tooth, we do not recommend replanting it because that can damage the permanent tooth developing inside the bone. If, however, a permanent tooth is injured, our team will assist your child’s dentist by doing everything we can to save it.

Children's permanent teeth that are not fully developed may require special attention. That's because in an immature permanent tooth, the apex or tip of the root is open, and the root canal walls are still thin. An injured adult tooth that's still immature may require an endodontic procedure known as apexogenesis. That involves placing medication onto the injured soft tissues to encourage the root to continue its development as the pulp heals.