Traumatic Dental Injuries

Depending on the severity of the trauma or cause of impact, teeth can suffer a range of traumatic injuries:

Dislodged (Luxated) Teeth
     During an injury, a tooth may be pushed sideways, out of or into its socket.
   Your endodontist or general dentist will reposition and stabilize your tooth.
   Root canal treatment is usually needed for permanent teeth that have been
dislodged and should be started a few days following the injury.



Knocked-Out (Avulsed) Teeth
If a tooth is completely knocked out of your mouth,
time is of the essence.
See an endodontist or dentist immediately!
Handled the knocked-out tooth very gently,
avoiding touching the root surface
and follow these steps to protect the tooth. 


1.Pick up tooth by the crown (the chewing surface) not the root. 
Locate the tooth immediately; do not leave it at the site of the accident.
The tooth should be handled carefully -- touch only the crown -- to minimize injury to the root.
2. If dirty, gently rinse tooth with water. Do not use soap or chemicals. Do not scrub the tooth.
Do not dry the tooth. Do not wrap it in a tissue or cloth.
3. Reposition tooth in socket immediately, if possible.
The sooner the tooth is replaced, the greater the likelihood it will survive. To reinsert, carefully push the tooth into the socket with fingers, or position above the socket and close mouth slowly. Hold the tooth in place with fingers or by gently biting down on it.
4. Keep tooth moist at all times.
The tooth must not be left outside the mouth to dry. If it cannot be replaced in the socket, put it in one of the following:
Emergency tooth preservation kit (such as Save-a-Tooth®) Milk Mouth (next to cheek)
Regular tap water is not recommended for long-term storage because the root surface cells do not tolerate water for long periods of time.
5. See an endodontist or the nearest available dentist within 30 minutes.
Bring the tooth to a dentist or endodontist as soon as possible -- ideally, within 30 minutes. However, it is possible to save the tooth even if it has been outside the mouth for an hour or more.

 Your endodontist will carefully evaluate the tooth, place it back in its socket and examine you for any other dental and facial injuries. A stabilizing splint will be placed for a few weeks. Depending on the stage of root development, your endodontist may start root canal treatment a week or two later.