Traumatic Injuries
Oral Surgeon Elk Grove
Oral Surgeon Sacramento
Dislodged Teeth
Certain injuries may cause teeth to be pushed back into their sockets, and the tooth may need to be repositioned and stabilized. Root canal treatment is usually started within a few weeks of the incident.
A tooth may be partially pushed out of its socket, in which case it will need to be repositioned and stabilized. If the pulp is healthy, no other treatment is necessary. If the pulp becomes damaged or infected, a root canal is necessary.
Avulsed Teeth
If a tooth has been completely knocked out of your mouth, immediate treatment is necessary! It is important to keep the tooth moist in either milk or a glass of water with salt. A moist tooth can be saved. If possible, put it back into its socket. The length of time your tooth has been out of your mouth and the way it has been stored will determine the kind of treatment process you receive.
Injuries in Children
An immature tooth may need one of the following procedures to increase the chance of saving the tooth:
Apexogenesis
This procedure encourages the root to continue to develop as the pulp is healed, and the soft tissue is treated with medication to encourage growth. The tip of the root will continue to close as the child grows older, causing the walls of the root canal to thicken. If the pulp heals, no additional treatment is necessary. A more mature root increases the chance of saving the tooth.
Apexification
Any unhealthy pulp is removed from the tooth. The doctors will place medication into the root to help hard tissue to form near the root tip which will create a barrier for the root canal filling. The root canal walls will not continue to develop, which could make it susceptible to fractures. The tooth should be properly restored by the dentist.