While it’s rare, there are times when a sports injury or an accidental fall can cause significant dental trauma. Sometimes this can cause a tooth to break off at the gum line or to be fully knocked out of the socket. These types of dental avulsion require some immediate first aid measures while seeking dental care at Falls Church Comprehensive Dentistry’s Falls Church, Virginia clinic.
The first step is to assess the severity of the damage. You can do this by gently rinsing your mouth with lukewarm salt water to clear away any lingering blood or other debris. This could also help soothe some of the traumatized soft tissues in your mouth.
If you have some on hand, you might want to try gently rubbing oral analgesia on the surrounding gums. Try to avoid direct contact with the socket itself as this could cause further traumatize the wounded tissues.
If the tooth is complexly whole, we might be able to successfully implant it back in the socket. If the tooth was fractured at the gum line, damaged or some of the root remains in the socket, we will not be able to implant it back into your gums.
Sometimes there is enough structure remaining that our dentists can perform a root canal to prepare an abutment sufficient for mounting a crown.
If the tooth and socket have been severely traumatized, we might advocate extracting the remnants of the tooth to allow the area to heal properly. This will ease the pain and help prepare the gums for a future dental restoration with a bridge or dental implant.
If you live in the Falls Church, Virginia area and you have suffered a knocked-out tooth, you should call 703-241-0666 to seek emergency treatment at Falls Church Comprehensive Dentistry’s clinic.