What Counts as Dental Trauma?
Dental trauma covers any injury to your teeth, gums, jawbone, or the soft tissues of your mouth caused by an impact or accident. Common scenarios include a knocked-out tooth (avulsion), a tooth pushed deeper into the socket or sideways out of alignment (luxation), fractured or cracked teeth, a broken jaw, lacerations (cuts) to the lips, tongue, gums, or inside of the cheeks, and teeth loosened by impact but still in the socket.
Some of these injuries are obvious. Others are subtle. A tooth that looks fine after a hit to the face can have a root fracture or nerve damage that does not show symptoms for days or weeks. This is why we recommend evaluation after any significant impact to the face or mouth, even if everything looks and feels normal initially.
How Do We Treat Dental Trauma?
Treatment depends entirely on the type and severity of the injury.
For knocked-out teeth: Reimplantation within 30 to 60 minutes gives the best outcome. We clean the socket, reposition the tooth, and splint it to the neighbouring teeth. A root canal is usually needed within two weeks.
For displaced teeth: A tooth that has been pushed inward, outward, or to the side needs to be repositioned and splinted. We use gentle pressure and X-rays to guide the tooth back to its correct position, then stabilize it with a flexible splint for two to four weeks.
For fractured teeth: Treatment ranges from simple bonding for a small chip to a root canal and crown for a fracture that reaches the nerve. We assess the fracture depth with X-rays and testing before deciding on a plan.
For soft tissue injuries: Cuts to the lips, gums, and tongue often look worse than they are because of heavy bleeding. We clean the wound, control bleeding, and suture lacerations that are deep or gaping. Most oral soft tissue heals quickly due to the excellent blood supply in the mouth.
For suspected jaw fractures: We take X-rays and examine your bite alignment. If a fracture is confirmed, we may stabilize it with wiring or refer you to an oral surgeon for more complex fractures.
Dental Trauma in Children: What Parents Need to Know
Children are the most common victims of dental trauma, with the peak incidence between ages 7 and 12. Falls, playground accidents, sports injuries, and bicycle crashes are the usual causes.
For baby teeth: Knocked-out baby teeth should NOT be reimplanted because doing so can damage the developing permanent tooth underneath. If a baby tooth is knocked loose, displaced, or fractured, call us for evaluation. We need to check the permanent tooth bud.
For permanent teeth in children: These should be treated exactly like adult teeth. Reimplant a knocked-out permanent tooth immediately if possible, or store it in milk and come to our office right away.
Mouthguards: If your child plays any contact sport (basketball, soccer, football, hockey, lacrosse, martial arts), a custom mouthguard reduces the risk of dental injury by up to 80 percent. We make custom mouthguards at our clinic that fit better and protect more effectively than store-bought options.
Call (240) 387-8233 after any impact to your child's face or mouth. Even if there is no visible damage, underlying injuries can affect the permanent teeth.
Preventing Dental Trauma
While accidents cannot always be prevented, the risk of dental injury can be reduced significantly.
Wear a mouthguard during all contact sports and high-risk activities. Custom mouthguards from our office provide the best fit and protection. Store-bought boil-and-bite guards offer some protection and are better than nothing.
Wear a seatbelt in the car. Facial impact with the steering wheel, dashboard, or airbag is a common cause of dental trauma in motor vehicle accidents.
Use a helmet with a face guard for activities like cycling, skateboarding, and motorcycling.
Childproof your home for toddlers. Pad sharp table corners, gate stairways, and supervise climbing.
If you grind your teeth at night, wear a night guard. Chronic grinding weakens teeth and makes them more susceptible to fracture from even minor impacts.
Emergency Dentist of Rockville serves families across Montgomery County, from Rockville and North Bethesda to Gaithersburg, Silver Spring, Wheaton, Potomac, and beyond. Call (240) 387-8233 after any dental injury.
