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As anyone who has ever sustained a dental injury can tell you, it’s both painful and worrisome when accidents affect the teeth and the surrounding tissues. Whether the involved teeth remain intact, have been chipped, fractured, dislodged or knocked out, it’s essential that you get an immediate assessment and care to help preserve your natural smile. With advanced training in all matters affecting the vital tissues of the teeth, the team at the office of Linda Ricks, DDS, MS, PC provides the specialty care required to both evaluate and save teeth that have sustained dental trauma.
As skilled specialists, the expert opinion and care of endodontists are often looked to in cases of dental injuries. While it’s not uncommon for a tooth to sustain a chip, crack or fracture as the result of an accident such as biting down on a piece of ice, chewing on a pencil, or sustaining trauma from a direct blow to the face and mouth, the extent of the damage may or may not be obvious. Of course, when a tooth’s dental nerve and vital tissues are clearly exposed, and there is enough remaining tooth structure to save the tooth, an immediate root canal procedure is most often recommended. However, it’s important to keep in mind that the effects of dental trauma are not always immediately apparent. In fact, despite the fact that in some instances everything looks intact, either a hard-to-detect dental fracture is present, or the wheels are already in motion for the nerve of the involved tooth to slowly die over time. Because endodontists are trained to use the most advanced imaging technology and operating microscopes to view all aspects of a tooth in the greatest of detail, they are able to assess any damage with the highest degree of precision and continue to monitor the involved tooth’s vitality over time.
Endodontists also treat teeth that have sustained traumatic injuries involving both the teeth and the bone surrounding the teeth. These injuries, which are known as dentalalveolar injuries can include a tooth (or teeth) that has been dislodged or moved partially out of place, or one that has been completely “knocked out” of its socket. Remember, saving and maintaining a natural smile in these situations requires immediate dental care to replant, reposition, and stabilize the involved teeth and/or put the bone back into the correct anatomical position. You can rest assured that your smile is in the best of hands at our office. We are well equipped to provide all aspects of care and determine if and when root canal therapy is warranted.
At the office of Linda Ricks, DDS, MS, PC, we’re dedicated to providing the highest quality of skilled and compassionate care. For more information on our office and the many services that we provide, give us a call today.
By Linda Ricks, DDS, MS, PC
August 12, 2019
