Smile Emergency: Facial Trauma and Cosmetic Dentistry

Accidents happen! Facial trauma can occur anywhere from sporting events and motor vehicle accidents, to work or home. Something as simple as an accidental fall could leave you with severely damaged teeth – but there’s no need to worry! Oral surgery and cosmetic dentistry offer a world of solutions for traumatic tooth injuries. Take a look at some common tooth injuries and available treatment options!

Tooth Injury:

Broken blood vessels in the teeth’s pulp can cause tooth discoloration and cause the nerve and blood supply to deteriorate. Tooth trauma causes blood to leak into the dentin layer and become visible through the enamel.

Treatment

Endodontic treatment (root canal therapy) may be necessary to save the tooth.

Treatment for the discolored tooth may include the following options:

1. Veneers are porcelain shells that are bonded to the front of teeth to improve appearance. They’re designed to match the color of your natural teeth, making them a perfect solution for treating discoloration – chipped teeth, too! Veneers are durable and, if properly cared for, will last for many years.
2. Whitening is a treatment for trauma induced discoloration. There are a variety of whitening options to restore your tooth’s natural color, from at home whitening treatments to in-office bleaching.
3. Full coverage tooth colored crowns may be indicated depending upon the strength of the remaining tooth structure.

Tooth Injury:

Chipped and fractured teeth are among the most common results of sports injuries and falls.

Treatment

As mentioned above, veneers don’t just treat tooth discoloration – they also fix chips and fractures. However, they’re not always necessary. Placing tooth colored bonded fillings is sometimes all it takes to fix minor chips. During a bonding treatment, we treat the surface of the tooth by placing a tooth colored bonding adhesive and then a tooth color plastic resin to replace any missing tooth fragments. If the broken fragments are retrievable they can sometimes be bonded back onto the injured tooth. 

If teeth are fractured too badly full coverage crowns may be indicated.

Crowns are porcelain caps that are secured over damaged teeth and cemented in place to restore appearance and function. They also correct tooth decay and fractured fillings, stabilizing teeth after root canal therapy. Porcelain crowns resemble and feel like natural teeth and with proper care may last many years.

Tooth Injury:
Avulsed (knocked out) teeth need to be replaced to maintain your jawbone health. Without teeth to support, the jawbone may deteriorate from underuse.

Treatment
In some cases, the missing tooth can be reattached. However, this isn’t always an option. Dental implants are artificial teeth that are secured in the jawbone with titanium posts that serve as placeholders for missing teeth. They look just like real teeth and are equally functional.

 

Give Mark J. Gordon, DDS a call at Mark J. Gordon, DDS Phone Number (913) 649-4042 if you want to transform your smile emergency. We are more than happy to discuss treatment options and get you back on track after your facial injury!