Traumatic Injuries

Dislodged Teeth

Injuries to the mouth can cause teeth to be pushed back into their sockets. Your endodontist or general dentist may reposition and stabilize your tooth. If necessary, root canal treatment should be started within a few weeks of the injury, and a medication, such as calcium hydroxide, will be placed inside the tooth. After a few weeks, the root canal therapy will be completed.

Sometimes, a tooth may be pushed partially out of the socket. Again, your endodontist or general dentist may reposition and stabilize your tooth. If the pulp remains healthy, then no other treatment is necessary. Yet, if the pulp becomes damaged or infected, root canal treatment will be required.

Avulsed Teeth

If an injury causes a tooth to be completely knocked out of your mouth, the situation must be addressed immediately! If this happens to you, keep the tooth moist. If possible, put it back into the socket. A tooth can be saved if it remains moist. You can even put the tooth in milk or a glass of water (add a pinch of salt.) Your Endodontist may start root canal treatment based on the stage of root development. The length of time the tooth was out of your mouth, and the way the tooth was stored may influence the type of treatment you receive. If the tooth is out of the mouth and dry for more than a couple of hours, the prognosis decreases significantly. THE SOONER THESE TEETH ARE PLACED BACK IN THEIR SOCKET, THE BETTER THE PROGNOSIS FOR SUCCESS.

Injuries in Children

An injured immature tooth may need one of the following procedures to improve the chances of survival:

Apexogenesis

This procedure encourages the root to continue development as the pulp is healed. Soft tissue is covered with medication to encourage growth. The tip of the root (apex) will continue to close as the child ages. In turn, the walls of the root canal will thicken. If the pulp heals, no additional treatment will be necessary. The more mature the root becomes, the better the chance to save the tooth.

Regeneration or Revascularization

This procedure is a significant focus of current endodontic research. These immature teeth do not have vital pulp tissue. The developmental tissue at the root end has progenitor stem cells that can grow new pulp or “pulp-like” tissue. The procedure involves cleaning and disinfecting the root canal and then “recruiting” cells from just outside the end of the root to grow new tissue into the empty canal. These teeth have been shown to develop longer and stronger roots with successful regeneration. Both Dr. Greiner and Dr. Malin have experience in these procedures.