Emergency Dental Care: Treating Traumatic Dental Injuries at Gasior Family Dental in Ann Arbor, MI
Traumatic Dental injuries don’t just affect an individual’s smile; they are also a source of emotional trauma. Anybody can suffer dental trauma due to sudden and unexpected impacts such as motor vehicle accidents, sports injuries, bad falls, eating hard foods, or fights.
Any dental injury, even if mild, requires immediate examination by a dentist or a dental specialist. If you’ve experienced a traumatic dental injury, visiting a dental office in Ann Arbor, MI, like Gasior Family Dental, is essential to determine any necessary treatment.
A dental professional in Ann Arbor, MI, will assess the condition and appearance of your teeth and develop a customized dental treatment plan to restore your smile and confidence.
What Is Dental Trauma?
Dental trauma refers to physical injury to the teeth, gums, the alveolar bone (the bone that holds the tooth sockets), or the mouth’s soft tissue, including the lips and tongue. Dental injuries can range from significant injuries such as avulsed teeth to minor injuries such as cracked or chipped teeth.
Types Of Dental Trauma That Require Immediate Care
The following are dental injuries that require dental care as soon as possible:
Knocked-out (Avulsed) Teeth
A knocked-out tooth is one of the most common types of traumatic dental injuries. When a tooth is completely knocked out of your mouth, time is of the essence. The tooth should be handled very gently, avoiding touching the root surface. If it is dirty, gently rinse it in water. You may be able to save it if you see a dentist in Ann Arbor, Michigan, immediately.
The dentist will return the tooth to its socket as soon as possible. Once the tooth has been put back in its socket, a stabilizing splint will be placed for a few weeks. Depending on the stage of root development, root canal treatment may be recommended within a week or two.
If the missing tooth cannot be reattached, Dental Implants are a great option. In this procedure, artificial teeth are secured in the gum with a metal screw and look and function just like natural teeth.
Chipped Or Cracked Teeth
Chipped or cracked teeth are more common in children. Chipped teeth account for the majority of dental injuries in Ann Arbor, MI. Most chipped or fractured tooth crowns can be repaired by reattaching the broken piece or placing a tooth-colored filling. If a significant portion of the tooth crown is broken off, an artificial crown or “cap” may be needed to restore the tooth. A dentist in Ann Arbor may recommend root canal treatment if cracks extend into the root.
Porcelain veneers don’t just treat tooth discoloration; they can also fix chips and fractures. Veneers are durable and, if properly cared for, will last up to ten to fifteen years.
Tooth bonding is sometimes all it takes to fix minor chips. A tooth-colored, putty-like resin is applied, molded, and smoothed to the desired shape, and then hardened with a bright light or laser.
Dislodged (Luxated) Teeth
Tooth luxation occurs when the tissues, ligaments, and sometimes bones that support your tooth become injured. It can also affect the tooth’s nerves and blood supply. When a tooth is pushed sideways or out of its socket, it must be repositioned and stabilized. Root canal treatment is often needed for permanent teeth that have been dislodged and should commence in a few days following the injury.
Soft Tissue Injury
Traumatic dental injuries can result in injuries to the tongue, cheeks, gums, or lips. A dentist will first diagnose the extent of the injury and then determine the treatment. The wound will be cleaned, sutured, and repaired.
Facial Bone Injury
A facial bone injury usually results in more severe dental injuries. If a fracture occurs to the bone around the mouth, surgery may be required to repair and treat the damage.
Root Resorption
Resorption occurs when an individual’s body, through its defense mechanisms, begins to reject the tooth in response to the traumatic injury. Following the injury, one should see a dental professional to have the tooth examined or treated at regular intervals to ensure that root resorption is not occurring.
Gasior Family Dental – Pioneers In Designing Winning Smiles For Ann Arbor MI Patients
Suppose you have any oral health concerns arising from a recent accident or fall in Ann Arbor, MI. In that case, seeking treatment from a trusted dentist at our Ann Arbor dental clinic is one of the best ways to restore your teeth’s appearance and health.
At Gasior Family Dental – Ann Arbor, we use the most advanced technologies and procedures in dental healthcare to provide the best outcomes with the slightest discomfort, and every patient is treated with the utmost compassion, empathy, and professionalism.
Restoring smiles and giving patients in Ann Arbor, MI, the teeth that they’ve always wanted is what we do best here at Gasior Family Dental – Ann Arbor. As one of the leading cosmetic dental practices in Ann Arbor, MI, we offer different treatments and procedures to give patients a winning smile.
Contact us today to learn more about Gasior Family Dental – Ann Arbor’s treatments or to schedule a consultation with a leading dentist in Ann Arbor, Michigan.