Hi, it's Mia Armonde here to talk to you about family dentistry. As my small family grew into a large one, I found myself at the dental office on a regular basis. Every six months, the kids would go into the dentist for a cleaning or repairs to their teeth. During that time, I took an interest in the various ways the dental tools were evolving. Tools used in the dental industry have grown in leaps and bounds in the last few decades. For example, my kids went from hearing the dental drill to wearing headphones that completely canceled out the sound. Each time we go back into the dentist, I take a close look at the improvements that have arisen since the last visit. The results are astounding. I will cover my findings on this site, so you can also enjoy the improvements to dental tools and techniques.
Dental injuries are almost always unexpected. They occur as the result of an accident and/or blunt force trauma to the lower face. Your dentist can fix most of these injuries, but you may need a maxillofacial surgeon to correct the rest. Here are some examples of dental injuries and a dental injury treatment for each.
Broken Tooth
A broken tooth can occur when you get pummeled in the face in a boxing match or a bar fight, or you get a hockey puck to the mouth. Broken teeth can also result from a fall. Be sure to see your dentist immediately after it happens, or the tooth could die and it would have to be removed. The dentist can fuse the single, clean break of a tooth with a special dental bonding agent to restore the tooth. If the break is more complex or you cannot find the piece that broke off the tooth, a crown will be necessary to save the tooth.
Torn Gum Tissue and Loose Tooth
Someone with torn gum tissue with a loose tooth is in danger of losing more than just the loose tooth. Massive blood loss from the torn gum could cost you more than one tooth in that area, and a massive infection is imminent. Your dentist can make sure the loose tooth stays put while sewing up the torn gum tissue with dissolvable sutures. Then the dentist will prescribe pain relief and antibiotics to ward off infection. Take the full course of antibiotics so that the tooth and gum tissue have time to heal and re-fuse with the surrounding bone and soft tissues.
Broken Jaw
This is the worst of the worst. A broken jaw subjects all of the nearest teeth to possible loss. Usually a car accident or extreme physical assault causes this type of dental/oral injury. To avoid losing these teeth, and to fix the broken jaw, your dentist will need to wire your jaw shut and wire your teeth together near the break in your jaw. You will have to consume nutrition in liquid form for several weeks while the jaw bone and teeth mend. Prescription pain medication is often prescribed because of the intense discomfort associated with this injury. Antibiotics may also be prescribed if your dentist/maxillofacial surgeon feels that antibiotics are warranted. Physical therapy to strengthen the muscles in that side of your face is the course of action once the wires are removed.
Share8 November 2019
