Dental Trauma
Portand, OR
 Patients suffering a dental trauma or dental emergency, whether from an automobile accident or a sporting event, need to be assessed immediately by our staff. Here at Geelan Dental Care we can perform the full examination and assess the best course of treatment for the injured teeth or soft tissue. Tooth loss does not need to be a result of dental trauma.
Dental Trauma Description
Dental trauma occurs when one or more parts of the mouth are injured. These injuries could include tooth damage which might be to the supportive tooth socket, the jawbones, or the tooth’s root. Through self-inspection, some patients will note injuries to the soft gum tissue on the inside of their mouth, including the tongue and gums or on the outside of the mouth which could be the cheeks or lips. There are some injuries severe enough that the tooth pulp can be damaged and exposed.
Symptoms of Dental Trauma
In some cases, a patient might not see any outward sign that they have suffered a trauma. It honestly depends upon the type of injury and how severe in nature it is. An obvious injury would be a chipped or cracked tooth or if the entire tooth is missing. Some patients will feel a sharp edge of a chipped tooth or even a fractured tooth that has a hairline crack in it. In some cases, there may be bleeding from inside the mouth or from the face which are all indications that trauma has occurred.
While these symptoms are serious, they can extend even further. When some patients come into the office, they have a hard time with their jaw. Their chewing motion is affected. It is important when patients feel their bite change, their teeth misaligning, or not touching at all or if their jaw clicks as they chew, they come to see us. This is considered a dental emergency.
Treating Dental Trauma
It is important to assess the damage caused by dental trauma early to ensure no further damage occurs. Our team performs a dental examination which can sometimes include the use of x-rays in order to assess the amount of damage that occurred. The recommended treatment course will be focused on correcting the type of damage incurred by the trauma. In rare occurrences, a tooth can partially heal itself. It is important to realize this is extraordinarily rare and should not be considered a valid method of treatment.
Antibiotics can be prescribed to decrease the infection which may follow dental trauma when portions of the mouth are exposed that should not be. Stitches can also be used to help trauma heal in the mouth too. If there is discomfort, our dentist might prescribe an over-the-counter pain medication to help.
While many traumas are obvious, many more are not. Why take a chance with your mouth? We need our teeth and jaw to work correctly to speak and eat with ease. When we have pain in the jaw or teeth, we can begin to adapt and bite incorrectly which can, in turn, cause our teeth and jaw to work in a way they were not designed to do. We can help address these concerns and come up with treatment options to correct the damage. Please look us up at Geelan Dental Care or call us at (971) 323-1990 today.
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