Dental Trauma, Dental Injury and Dental Pain

Dental Trauma

Dental Trauma involves injuries to teeth that may result in the tooth being forced out of its position (extrusion), broken (fractured) or knocked out (avulsion). Mouth Injuries may also involve soft tissue injuries that are generally painful and have to be immediately treated by an experienced dentist. In this section, we shall describe the different dental and soft tissue injuries and our recommended management of common dental injuries.

Extruded Teeth

If a tooth is pushed inwards (intrusion) or outwards (extrusion) or is out of place, you should apply a gentle finger pressure to reposition the tooth back to its normal position. Try to avoid forcing the tooth into its socket. Use a clean moist tissue or a damp gauze to hold the tooth in its place.

Immediately call the 24 Hour emergency dentist on-call by calling 0208 547 9997 as delay could result in further damage to the tooth or Click on the icon below to see our 24 Hour Emergency page:

24 Hour Emergency

Knocked Out Teeth

If a tooth has been knocked out of its socket, you should first recover it and remove any dirt or debris by washing it carefully. You should avoid touching the root surface and try to hold the tooth by its crown as you may damage the fibers on the root surface by touching the root.

If possible, you should try to put the tooth back in its socket since it is possible to re-implant the tooth within 60 minutes of it coming out of its socket. Or you could alternatively store the tooth inside a glass of milk and immediately schedule an appointment by calling the dental emergency hotline.

The longer a tooth lies outside its socket, the lower the chances of a successful reattachment with its socket, so speed is of essence in such a dental emergency.

Fractured Teeth

The treatment of a fractured tooth depends on the degree of damage to the tooth. But whatever the degree of damage might be, you should see a dentist as soon as possible to get the appropriate treatment. Do not worry, because a fractured tooth can in most cases be repaired. But if the tooth feels painful, try to avoid biting in that area or eating hot or cold foods in the mean time.

Minor Tooth Fracture

For a minor tooth fracture, our dentists can smooth the fractured part of the tooth and minimize the injury cosmetically or do a small composite white filling to restore the tooth. You must take care of your tooth and try to avoid any further trauma.
Moderate Tooth Fracture

You may have a moderate tooth fracture if there is damage to your tooth enamel or dentine or both. You may need a moderate sized white filling or veneer to restore the tooth back to its previous shape. In some cases, the tooth may need a crown to cover the tooth and protect it from further fracture.

Severe Tooth Fracture

A severe tooth fracture could mean that the tooth may be un-restorable. The tooth will have to be assessed immediately and if it can be saved, it will probably need root canal treatment and possibly a crown. If the tooth is un-restorable, the tooth may need to be extracted and replaced with a bridge or an implant.

Soft Tissue Trauma

Other Severe Dental injuries include puncture wounds, tongue lacerations, cheek or lip lacerations. In the event of a soft tissue injury, you need to have the wound cleaned, sutured and repaired. If there is bleeding due to a tongue laceration, then try to pull the tongue forward and use gauze to put some pressure on it. You will need to call the emergency dentist on-call for an immediate emergency appointment.