Dental injuries resulting from car accidents may not be the first type of injury you think of in such a scenario, but they can still have a major impact on your life. They can prevent you from eating properly, there could be significant pain, and you might even have difficulty speaking. Your teeth can be damaged, broken, or even knocked out in an auto accident, triggering any or all of the symptoms just described. Consult dentists like lowenberglituchykantor.com to restore your teeth after being damaged. Below, you’ll find some of the most commonly occurring dental injuries that result from car accidents.
It’s very possible that anyone involved in an auto accident will sustain acute dental trauma. Dental fractures are one possibility, and these will require immediate treatment. Dental professionals categorize fractures into three main categories: Ellis I injuries, Ellis II injuries, and Ellis III injuries. Ellis I injuries are fractures that are situated in the enamel of the tooth, and this might cause your tooth to have some rough edges, but it won’t be discolored or tender to the touch.
Ellis II injuries have fractures that go through the enamel into the layer beneath, which is the dentin. These kinds of injuries will always leave teeth tender to the touch, sometimes even when exposed to the outside air. The fracture may be pronounced enough that the dentin is actually visible to your dentist.
Ellis III injuries are the most serious type of fracture, because they involve the enamel, the dentin, and the pulp of the tooth as well. They will have considerable sensitivity associated with them, as well as an observable region of pink, red, or even active blood flow visible at the tooth center.
When a tooth gets loose but not completely knocked out, this constitutes a tooth luxation. Whenever you sustain a tooth luxation, you’ll be able to move the tooth around in its socket, and this can be dangerous for a patient as well as highly painful.
Usually, your dentist will attempt to push the tooth back into its original location as the first step in treatment for a luxated tooth. Then it may be necessary to take additional steps to ensure the stability and long-term health of that tooth. If you do experience a luxated tooth, your dentist will thoroughly examine the rest of your mouth, to make sure there is no other damage than the visible luxation.
When a tooth has been completely knocked out of its socket, it is referred to as an avulsed tooth. After an auto accident, if you find that one or more teeth have been knocked out, you should try and find them and pick them up by the crown rather than by the roots. Any retrieved teeth should be placed in a plastic container with either a saline solution or whole milk, before arranging an appointment with your dentist as soon as possible.
Timing is of the essence in a situation like this, because you’ll only have approximately two hours to return any teeth to their appropriate sockets. After this amount of time goes by, the teeth will probably end up dying, and then some kind of prosthesis will be necessary. Remember the two-hour limit, and act accordingly after your auto accident.
Anytime you’ve been involved in an auto accident, you should be on the lookout for various types of dental symptoms, since they can be indicators of some kind of major issue with your teeth. Here are some of the most prominent dental symptoms that might appear in the wake of a vehicle accident: