What Is a Traumatic Dental Injury?
Your teeth are made to be strong and resist damage as much as possible, but injuries still occur. Even when your teeth are in excellent condition, you might end up with a traumatic dental injury and need emergency dental care in Mesa or Phoenix. Keep the following information on traumatic dental injuries in mind.
What are Traumatic Dental Injuries
Traumatic dental injuries are sudden and sometimes serious injuries that affect your teeth. Traumatic injuries occur after being hit in the mouth, such as while playing sports or from an accident. These dental injuries range from minor to severe, and typically require prompt care and treatment to prevent permanent tooth loss.
Some examples of traumatic dental injuries include chipped teeth, knocked out teeth, tooth fractures, and teeth being pushed out of their normal position. Minor injuries might not require emergency care, but it’s still important to see your dentist as soon as you can. Severe injuries often need immediate care to lower the risk of infection or reduce the risk of losing a tooth permanently.
How to Prevent Traumatic Dental Injuries
Some traumatic dental injuries happen as unexpected accidents, like hitting your mouth after slipping and falling or if getting an auto accident. However, some injuries can be prevented by taking certain precautions. For example, wearing a mouthguard or a face mask helps lower the risk of damage to your teeth while playing sports, especially football or other contact sports. Also, wear your seatbelt in a car and make sure small children sit in the backseat.
In some cases, making sure teeth are in proper alignment might help reduce the risk of traumatic injuries. Front teeth that stick out, for example, are more vulnerable to damage if an accident or injury occurs. Talk to your dentist about any available options to straighten your teeth. While you may only have a minimal risk for dental emergencies, better alignment of your teeth will improve your smile and self-confidence and potentially prevent other issues in the future.
While you can’t completely prevent accidents that might result in dental injuries, keeping your teeth strong and healthy could lower the risk of damage. Brush and floss regularly. Avoid chewing on items other than food. Visit your dentist for routine cleanings and checkups. These things help to ensure that your teeth are in excellent condition. By keeping your teeth in good shape, you help make them less likely to crack or get knocked out.
What to Do for an Injury Before Your Visit
The steps you should take after a traumatic dental injury depend on how the severity and type of damage. If you feel any pain or discomfort, over-the-counter pain relievers can provide relief for a short time. For severe pain, you should seek emergency care, since this could indicate an infection. Other signs of infections include a fever, swelling, and pain that spreads to other areas. Tooth infections can become life-threatening if they’re left untreated, so see your dentist immediately if you think you might have one.
If your tooth has been knocked out, you can rinse it off to clean it and place it back in the socket. If you can’t get it back in, place it in a container with milk to keep it moist. Keep in mind that you should see an emergency dentist in Mesa or Phoenix right away for treatment. This will help lower your risk of an eventual tooth replacement. Emergency dental care can help save your natural tooth.
If part of your tooth broke off, you should save the missing pieces if possible. Bring these to your dental visit to see if they can be reattached to your tooth. If not, your dentist can provide you with other options for restoring your tooth.
Conclusion
When you need care for a traumatic dental injury, you shouldn’t go to just any dentist. It’s important to see a trusted dentist who can provide you with safe and proper care to help save damaged or knocked out teeth. Otherwise, you might end up needing to have more complex dental work done that could have been avoided. If you experience a traumatic dental injury, please contact Dental Brothers as soon as possible. We offer emergency dental services in Phoenix and Mesa for a wide range of tooth injuries.
