Sunday, January 27, 2008

Fractured Tooth - Treatment

Just the other day, it was closing time at our cosmetic dental practice when I was presented with a message that one of our patient's children had fallen and fractured his tooth. It was 5:15 pm, but with dental trauma, time is of the essence.
When trauma occurs to our teeth, several senarios can happen. We can avulse our tooth ( knock it out) , intrude the tooth( push it into the gums), we can luxate the tooth( make it wiggle) or nothing at all. All of these situations require the need to see your dentist immediately. Each case requires an immediate exam, and radiograph to establish a baseline for future treatment.
Now back to our patient. The 13 year old male presented with a class II horizontal fracture ( cracking the enamel and dentin) There was no pulp exposure and the x-ray showed no presence of a root fracture. We disinfected the tooth, took an intraoral photo for reference, and bonded a tooth colored filling. The patient returned the next day and a complete bonded filling was placed.
Future treatment for the patients teeth require a follow-up x-ray and post op visits. It will be important to watch for any discoloration of the tooth, which would be an indication that the nerve has died and a root canal treatment be rendered. When the time is appropriate, a cosmetic porcelain veneer will need to be placed. Cosmetic veneers or a lumineer veneer is a conservative dental cosmetic treatment that will all the patient to maintain a beautiful smile and a whiter and brighter future for his teeth.
For prevention of such trauma, a sports mouth guard needs to be worn during all sports activities. The sports guard can be made by our dental office. Our sports guards are custom fabricted to fit the teeth of each patient. Custom sports mouth guards allow for easy breathing and better comunication. The stable and constant thickness improves protection from potential concussions by preventing the jaw from hitting the base of the skull. Such sports guards can be worn during football, lacrosse, soccer, basketball, skate boarding and baseball. More information about my office can be found at www.drobraitis.com

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