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Facial trauma can occur in many different situations, including sport activities and car accidents, as well as during mishaps at work and home. Even a minor mishap, such as a tumble, might result in badly damaged teeth. For traumatic tooth injuries, oral surgery and aesthetic dentistry provide a wide range of options.

What’s Facial and Dental Trauma?

A physical damage to the face and/or teeth known as maxillofacial trauma might include:

• Broken jaw, nose, or broken cheekbones
• Bruises
• Fractures
• Burns
• Soft tissue injuries
• Lacerations
• Sports, motor vehicle accidents, and incidents such as falling or tripping can all result in these injuries.

Three Common Types of Dental and Facial Trauma

While there are a lot of factors that contribute to dental and facial trauma, sports injuries are the most common, followed by motor vehicle accidents. When a person has a dental or facial injury, one (or more) of the facial structures is usually affected. The most common types of trauma include the following:

Mouth and Tooth Injuries

Many dental injuries involve the fracturing or chipping of teeth, which necessitates a multi-step treatment plan. If you lose a tooth, an oral surgeon may need to repair a bone fracture or conduct a bone transplant, although less damage may only require restorative dentistry.

Bone Trauma

Because bone injuries affect the cheeks, jaws, eyes, and nose, it’s critical to work with an oral surgeon who can not only treat the bone damage and restore normal function to the area, but also maintain aesthetic appeal.

Soft Tissue Injuries

Lacerations to the facial area can result in soft tissue injuries. It’s critical to address these and have an oral surgeon examine them soon, because lacerations can impair salivary glands and nerves if they’re deep enough.

Types of Teeth Injuries and Treatment Options in Cosmetic Dentistry

Fractures of the visible part of the tooth, known as the crown, or fracture of the tooth’s root beneath the gum line are both possible causes of tooth injury. Several factors influence the management of tooth injuries, such as if:

• The fracture doesn’t exceed the enamel
• The fracture is in the enamel and extends to the dentine
• All of the tooth’s structures, including enamel, dentine, and pulp, are impacted
• There is a root fracture below the gum line

A dentist will examine any damage to a tooth as quickly as possible after the injury has occurred, both clinically and via X-rays, to ensure that no undetected root fracture goes misdiagnosed and untreated. Tooth loss is a possibility if treatment is delayed.

Teeth are sometimes not injured directly, but rather displaced within the bone due to the force of the accident.

A subluxation injury occurs when a tooth is simply loosened in the bone socket. Alternatively, the tooth may be forced deeper into the socket or partially removed from the socket. Intrusion or extrusion injuries are the terms we use to describe these types of injuries.

An avulsion of the tooth occurs when a tooth is totally removed from its socket. If the tooth is still linked to the bone that supports it after a hard blow, the tooth may migrate with the bone fragment as a result of a bone fracture. Lateral avulsion injuries are horizontal movement injuries of the tooth linked to the supporting bone.

All of these injuries require different treatments, and it is critical to see a dentist at once for an examination of the injury in order to offer the tooth the best chance of healing and survival.

Take a look at some of the most frequent tooth injuries and the treatment options available below.

Treatment for Tooth Discoloration due to Broken Blood Vessel in Pulp

Veneers are thin porcelain shells attached to the front of teeth to improve appearance. They’re made to match the color of your natural teeth, so they’re ideal for repairing discoloration and chipped teeth. Veneers are long-lasting and will only need to be changed after 10-20 years of use, if properly cared for.

Another treatment for trauma-induced discoloration is whitening. From at-home whitening procedures to in-office bleaching, there are a multitude of whitening methods available to restore your tooth’s natural color.

Treatment for Chipped and Fractured Teeth

Veneers, as previously stated, are used to repair tooth discoloration, as well as chips and fractures. However, they aren’t always required. In certain cases, bonding is all that is required to repair tiny chips. During a bonding treatment, we etch the tooth’s surface and replace any missing tooth fragments with a plastic, tooth-colored resin and a bonding solvent.

Crowns are porcelain caps that are set on top of damaged teeth to restore their appearance and function. They help treat dental decay and damaged fillings, as well as restore tooth stability following root canal therapy. Porcelain crowns look and feel like real teeth, and they can last anywhere from 5 to 15 years.

Treatment for Avulsed (Knocked Out) Teeth

A missing tooth may be reattached in some situations. This isn’t always an option, though. Dental implants allow for artificial tooth attachment. Implants are installed into the gum and function as anchors for replacement teeth. The replacement teeth, which can be crowns, bridges, or dentures, have the same appearance as natural teeth and are just as useful.

Cosmetic Dentistry in Plantation, FL

Suffering from cosmetic dental issues after a facial injury? Come see Dr. Ernie Soto, a reconstructive dentist with a wealth of experience. Dr. Soto can discuss the cosmetic solutions available to you after identifying which elements of your teeth are damaged. To schedule an appointment with Dr. Soto, call our Plantation dentist office at (954) 368-6264 or fill out our appointment request form online.