Dental trauma can be an extremely distressing experience, whether it’s a chipped tooth from a fall or a knocked-out tooth during a sporting event. If you’ve experienced this, you may not know how to treat dental trauma adequately enough to protect and preserve your tooth. Thankfully, with the help of a reliable endodontic team, you can save yourself from unplanned tooth loss.
At David G. Johnson, DDS., we understand how important it is to preserve your tooth following a traumatic injury. Without proper care, you may experience significant changes to your smile and overall oral function. If you have recently experienced an injury and you want to know how endodontists treat dental trauma, keep reading.
Understanding Dental Trauma
Dental trauma refers to any injury to your teeth or the surrounding tissue caused by external forces. This trauma can range from minor chips and cracks to more severe injuries. There are several common causes of dental trauma, including accidents, falls, sports injuries, and biting on hard objects. The three most common types of dental trauma include:
- Fractured Teeth: This injury involves cracks or breaks in the tooth structure, which can vary in severity.
- Avulsed Teeth: Avulsed teeth involve your tooth being completely knocked out of its socket.
- Luxated Teeth: When dealing with luxated teeth, your tooth is pushed sideways, pulled out of position, or partially dislodged.
What to Do While You Wait for an Endodontist Appointment
While waiting for an appointment with your endodontist, there are a few things you can do to treat dental trauma, minimize discomfort, and prevent further damage. Some of the things you can do at home to treat dental trauma include:
- Pain Management: If you are experiencing mild discomfort from your dental trauma, over-the-counter pain relievers like ibuprofen can help you alleviate pain and reduce inflammation. However, it is important that you avoid using aspirin directly on the affected area, as it may lead to increased irritation.
- Dietary Considerations: To treat dental trauma with care while waiting for an appointment, it is best to stick with soft foods and avoid chewing on the side of the mouth with the injured tooth. You should also opt for lukewarm or cold liquids to soothe any discomfort.
- Oral Hygiene: While your tooth may be irritated, it is important that you continue to brush and floss your teeth gently every day. Be mindful when brushing around the injured area to avoid increasing irritation. You may also want to rinse with salt water to help keep the area clean and reduce the chance of infection.
- Protection: If you partake in any contact sports or activities that could pose a risk of further injury, you should consider wearing a mouthguard to protect your teeth. If the irritation is significant enough, you may want to avoid these activities altogether until the injury has been treated and healed.
How Endodontists Treat Dental Trauma
When you reach out to an endodontist to treat dental trauma, they will tailor your treatment to your specific injury. To begin, they will conduct a thorough examination of the tooth and surrounding tissue to assess the injury. They may also recommend an X-ray to determine the extent of the injury and spot any underlying issues.
In more severe cases, your endodontist may provide immediate intervention to increase the chances of saving the tooth. This immediate treatment is often reserved for avulsed and luxated teeth. If you experience these injuries, your endodontist may reimplant the tooth or correct any displacement.
They may also recommend a root canal to treat dental trauma. In some cases, a dental injury may expose the dental pulp. If this happens, a root canal may be performed to remove infected or damaged tissue, disinfect the root canal system, and seal the tooth to prevent further infection.
As they treat dental trauma, you may need to schedule follow-up appointments to monitor the healing process and ensure the success of your treatment. Your endodontist will also provide guidance on oral hygiene practices, dietary restrictions, and other measures to promote healing and prevent treatment complications.
Depending on the nature of the trauma and the long-term prognosis, your endodontist may recommend periodic monitoring and maintenance to ensure its continued health and stability. In cases where the trauma results in irreversible damage or loss of the tooth, your endodontist can discuss options for tooth replacement or other restorative solutions.
Restorative Care from David G. Johnson, DDS
If you are trying to treat dental trauma, it is important that you work with a reliable endodontic team, like our team at David G. Johnson, DDS. With years of experience helping patients across the Northern Utah area protect and heal their teeth following dental trauma, we’re confident that we can do the same for you.
Our amazing endodontist, Dr. David G. Johnson DDS., PC., has been practicing endodontics since 1990. With several decades of experience, we’re certain that there is no dental trauma too big or small and that he can help you restore your smile.
Whether you come to us to treat dental trauma or for a root canal, we are here to offer you support throughout the dental experience. If you would like to schedule an appointment with our team to discuss the dental trauma you’ve experienced or if you have questions about the services we provide, don’t hesitate to reach out to us today at our Layton or Centerville locations.
