What Is Dental Trauma?

Any type of injury to your teeth, jawbone, gums and soft tissues of the mouth (such as the lips) is called dental trauma. The common causes tend to be sports-related injuries and falls, as well as vehicle collisions and fights. Skip to:

• Dental trauma symptoms
• Types of dental trauma
• What to do if you have dental trauma
• How to treat dental trauma with a dentist
• Reducing the risk of dental trauma

Dental trauma symptoms

Depending on the type of injury you have experienced, your symptoms will differ. Typical indicators of dental trauma include toothache, bleeding and swelling. Many report seeing their teeth discolour, or feeling discomfort when chewing and biting. Teeth may also feel loose. If you are experiencing any of these symptoms after your injury, it is important that you seek the assistance of a dentist or doctor, even if you are not in any pain.

Types of dental trauma

There are many different types of dental trauma. Your treatment options will change based on the type of injury you have.

1. Concussion: When a tooth has received a hard blow, but hasn’t been knocked out or broken.
2. Sublaxation: Injury to the tooth-supporting structures that causes the tooth to loosen. There is no fracture or displacement.
3. Extrusion: The tooth has moved out of its socket, making it appear very elongated and feel wriggly.
4. Intrusion: One of the more severe types of dental trauma, intrusion describes when the tooth is pushed up into the socket and fractures the alveolar bone.
5. Avulsion: When the tooth is knocked clean out of its socket and sometimes, the mouth.
6. Infraction: A crack in the enamel (outer surface of the tooth) without any loss of structure.
7. Enamel Fracture: A complete fracture of the enamel that does not expose the tooth’s dentine or pulp.
8. Enamel-Dentin Fracture: The fracture of the enamel extends into the dentine. The pulp remains unaffected.
9. Alveolar Fracture: Fractures involving the dentition and the alveolar bone supporting the teeth.
10. Lateral Luxation: This describes a fracture of the alveolar, the bone that holds your teeth in place. The affected tooth appears forward or backward in the gum line.
11. Root Fracture: Quite uncommon, root fractures describe when the fracture is confined to the root of the tooth and involves the cementum (a connective tissue found in the tooth), dentine and pulp.
12. Enamel-Dentin Pulp-Fracture: When the fracture of the tooth affects the enamel, dentine and pulp. This type of fracture can make the tooth feel extremely sensitive.
13. Crown-Root Fracture: The fracture crosses the enamel, dentine and cementum into the periodontal ligament. An uncomplicated crown-root fracture does not expose the pulp, whereas a complicated crown-root fracture does.

What to do if you have dental trauma

Contact your dentist immediately. They will advise you on what to do next and organise emergency dental treatment. If you have broken bones, severe pain or non-stop bleeding, call 999 and head to your nearest hospital.

Teeth injuries: First aid for adults

After your accident, there are ways to temporarily manage your symptoms until you have your emergency dental treatment.  

SymptomHow to treat (provisionally)

Bleeding

Bite down on a clean gauze or tissue. Do not swallow.

Swelling

Wrap an ice pack in some sort of cloth and hold against the skin.

Pain

After consulting with a healthcare professional, take the advised over-the-counter pain medication.

Discomfort while eating and drinking

Consume soft foods that are not too hot and are easy to chew and swallow.

Save a knocked out tooth

The following advice could help you save your knocked out tooth after an accident. Please note that the following advice only applies to permanent/adult teeth, and you should never try to reimplant a baby tooth; this is because you could accidentally harm the adult teeth growing beneath. Clean your mouth with water and mop up any blood. Locate the tooth and pick it up by the crown (the flat, white part). Do not touch the root. Then, if it is visibly dirty, pour water over the tooth or lick it. The next part needs to be done very carefully. Try to reinsert the tooth back into the socket and hold it in place by biting down on a tissue. Once this is done, go to your dentist immediately. Put the tooth in milk or saline if you are unable to reinsert. Have neither of these nearby? Transport the tooth in your mouth by keeping it inside your cheek, next to your molar teeth.

How to treat dental trauma with a dentist

If dental trauma is left untreated, it can lead to numerous oral health issues, including infections, gum damage and loss of teeth. Here are some of the procedures used to treat dental injury, all of which are available at Yorkshire Dental Suite.

• Dental fillings and bonding: These treatments are suitable for chips and cracks, as well as discolouration. YDS uses a composite resin to disguise damage and restore the tooth back to health.
• Dental crown: A dental crown is a protective cap that provides structural support to injured teeth. Crowns may also be used to cover chips, cracks and exposed nerves.
• Root canal: If the damage has reached the pulp of the tooth, a root canal treatment can be carried out to remove infections and repair the tooth. This procedure is often followed by a dental crown.
• Tooth extraction: Sometimes a tooth is beyond repair and needs to be extracted. Removal is a last resort, so please be assured that your dentist will do everything possible to save the tooth before taking it out.
• Teeth replacements: Teeth that have been removed completely may be replaced with treatments such as dental implants, bridges and dentures to give you back your healthy smile.

Reducing the risk of dental trauma

Sometimes injury is completely accidental and cannot be prevented. However, patients are able to minimise the risk of dental trauma in multiple ways. If you play any type of sport, wear a mouth guard or a face shield. These appliances have been proven to effectively protect the teeth. Additionally, remember to always wear a seatbelt while you are driving in a vehicle. Do not use your teeth to tear items open and avoid biting your fingernails or toenails. Finally, be mindful of where your nearest emergency dental services are. If you ever experience dental trauma, knowing where to go for help is extremely useful. Conclusion: We understand that dental trauma can be very distressing and painful. Yorkshire Dental Suite are often able to provide emergency and out of hours appointments to help those in need – all you need to do is call and check for availability. Please remember to contact emergency services immediately if you are severely hurt or bleeding non-stop.