Displaced tooth How we save or restore partially or even fully dislodged teethDisplaced tooth
Each tooth is a sum of many parts. The teeth are held in place in their sockets by an intricate system of roots and tissues. The force from a fall or accidents on the slopes, rinks, or trails can all result in a tooth being partially or fully displaced or dislodged from its socket. When this happens, a tooth is no longer positioned or situated in its socket properly. It is vulnerable to being lost for good without proper and immediate treatment at the office of Urgent Dental of Denver.
Our talented emergency dentist, Dr. Drew Boyd, serves northern Colorado individuals and their families with trusted guidance on how to ideally and quickly care for dislocated teeth. Then, he applies his considerable, focused urgent dental care knowledge and precision technologies to accurately identify the nature and severity of the damage to the affected tooth. This trusted information is used to develop a treatment plan that quickly, predictably, and optimally preserves the tooth or otherwise restores the mouth’s health, structure, and function.
Types of dislodged teeth
A tooth may be slightly lifted or repositioned in the socket. Or, a tooth may be fully dislodged. The latter condition is called an “avulsed” or “knocked-out” tooth. Still, other forms of related trauma include those teeth that may be driven deeper into the jaw. Dr. Boyd uses his know-how and cutting-edge digital diagnostics to understand better the extent and nature of your injury or damage to the teeth and, possibly, surrounding tissues and bone.
In addition to traumatic sports-related injuries or ” acute ” accidents, teeth may become loose or otherwise shift due to chronic conditions. These conditions include bruxism, habitual teeth-grinding, and advanced gum disease that erodes the soft tissue attachments to the teeth and supportive hard tissues (jawbone).
Generally, whenever the pulp remains unaffected or is not threatened, we can preserve the tooth with more conservative procedures such as dental restorations to build up and strengthen its structure. Even those teeth with severe damage to the pulp can still be preserved with root canal therapy followed by a restoration (crown) to prevent the tooth from further damage. In fact, even severely dislodged or knocked-out teeth can be preserved when handled carefully and when patients see us quickly for our expertise. Dr. Boyd can immediately advise on how to treat the affected tooth. If, for instance, a tooth cannot be easily placed back in its socket, it is essential to keep the connected tissues moist and intact. Take care when placing and storing the tooth in a solution like Save-A-Tooth® or a container of milk (the proteins in milk help keep the tooth viable by retaining a consistent acid-to-alkaline ratio). And visit us immediately. Moments matter. The sooner we can reinsert the tooth, the greater the odds that it will “take” and we can successfully reattach it.
For those teeth that cannot be safely and effectively repositioned, never fear! Dr. Boyd is adept at a variety of modern prosthetic options, including dental implant-retained crowns, bridges, and dentures. We can also advise on ways to prevent further damage; for instance, with custom-made oral appliances such as mouthguards and nightguards. Do not “sit” on loose teeth or other dental concerns. Call Urgent Dental of Denver, CO, today at (720) 573-2629.
