It can be a stressful experience when you damage your teeth due to trauma from a fall, sports, or impact on your face. Unfortunately, lots of people do not take appropriate action in this situation – you need to react immediately after damaging your tooth if you want the best outcome from your dentist porthmadog. We are going to advise you on the best steps to take following damaging your tooth/teeth.
How common is dental trauma?
- Dental trauma is very common, over 1 in 4 people suffer from a dental injury by the age of 12
- Most commonly, children between the ages of 2-3 and 9-10 suffer from this. These are the ages they begin to explore, then when they start taking parts in sports activities etc
- Males are more likely to suffer from dental trauma than females
Common tooth/mouth injuries and what to do if it happens:
If you have cut the inside of your mouth (for example your cheek, lips, or tongue) it will most likely bleed a lot due to the mouth having a rich blood supply. However, this also means that trauma of the mouth tends to heal a lot quicker than other areas of the body and often require no treatment unless severe.
Broken tooth/teeth – You should arrange a meeting with your dentist as soon as possible. They will either reattach the broken section of the tooth or place a filling over the tooth to protect it. If the tooth is broken close to your gum line, then root canal treatment may be needed.
Loose teeth – if your tooth has become loose following trauma, it is advised that you see your dentist as soon as possible. If this is an adult tooth, you might require to have a small brace for a short period of time. This holds the tooth in position until it has secured itself once again.
Knocked-out tooth – Baby teeth should be left and not put back in as they can end up damaging the adult tooth in the gum. Adult teeth, however, should be either held in the mouth (if this is comfortable) or placed in milk or a saline solution and taken to the dentist with you immediately. The sooner they can attach the tooth back to the correct place, the more likely the tooth will survive.
To prevent further injury to your teeth such as an abscess, staining, or intense pain you should speak to your dentist as soon as possible. We encourage everyone who plays any form of contact sport to get a custom mouthguard made to avoid any dental injuries.
