Tooth Trauma Services in Queens, NY

The kind of tooth trauma you had and the severity of the pain you experience determine what type of treatment you may need. Your dentist has a number of options at his disposal. Fortunately, you have many options of treatment techniques to choose from. Dental injuries and the type of dental injury treatments you might need include:

• Filling a crack. Fractures in the outer layer of teeth that don’t penetrate below the enamel represent the easiest tooth injury to treat. Your family dentist also is a cosmetic dentist, so if a crack is in a front tooth where it’s more noticeable, he can seal it with tooth-matching resin.
• Composite fillings for a fractured crown are made of various composites that match your tooth color. Small pieces of tooth can be reattached if you were able to save the broken off piece. You may need a new crown to protect the root and natural tooth if the fracture is large enough. If the pulp or a root is exposed, however, you may need a root canal treatment.
• Stabilizing splints often can be employed if the tooth appears intact. If you continue to feel sensitivity and pain, that may indicate a horizontal root fracture close to your gums. The splint stabilizes the tooth while it heals.
• A crown may be recommended if the tooth was knocked sideways, pushed into the socket to the gum tissue, or completely knocked out of the socket. After repositioning and stabilizing the tooth, the crown provides even more strength in the compromised area.

If a tooth has been totally dislodged due to a tooth injury, handle it with care to give your dentist the option of saving it. You can still get many good years from the tooth if you save it. To preserve it for the dentist, don’t touch the roots. Hold it by the cap and keep it moist in a cup of milk. Put the tooth back in its socket if you can and hold it still with a clean cloth while on your way to your Queens dental office.

After tooth trauma treatment, avoid risky activities that could end up with another tooth injury, particularly contact sports. Maintain a diet of soft food for about two weeks and follow your dentist’s instructions closely. Use a soft-bristled toothbrush, easy-glide floss and prescribed mouthwash that’s medicated. Brush extra carefully around the dental injury treatment site.

Proper dental injury treatment can save you from having to wear dentures or getting extensive reconstruction. Visit your Queens dentist as soon as possible following tooth trauma to ensure a successful outcome.

The long-term outcome of dental injury treatment relies on a number of factors. According to the American Association of Endodontists: “Factors that affect the long-term health of your tooth after an injury include the nature of the injury, the length of time from injury to treatment, how your tooth was cared for after the injury and your body’s response. Getting treatment as soon as possible is very important with dislodged or knocked-out teeth in particular, in order to prevent root resorption.

“Resorption occurs when your body, through its own defense mechanisms, begins to reject your own tooth in response to the traumatic injury. Following an injury, you should return to your dentist or endodontist to have the tooth examined and/or treated on a regular basis for up to five years to ensure that root resorption is not occurring and that surrounding tissues continue to heal. Unfortunately, some types of resorption are untreatable. The type and severity of your dental injury, the length of time between the injury and treatment, and the proper handling of any knocked-out teeth can point to possible treatment outcomes. Your overall medical health and your body’s ability to regenerate tissue also affect healing.”