Traumatic Dental Injuries

An injury to your mouth can be a traumatic experience and can damage your teeth in a number of ways. These situations happen unexpectedly and often need immediate or even the need of an  emergency dentist nearby. Our team at Higson Dental Group is trained and prepared to deal with these dental injuries so you can go back to having a healthy and functioning mouth as quickly as possible. We know that having an emergency dentist that you can trust is important, and we are proud to be one of the top emergency dental offices in the Grande Prairie area.

Dislodged Teeth

If an injury has caused the teeth to be pushed back into their sockets, our first course of action is to act quickly to reposition and stabilize your tooth. A few weeks later, we do root canal therapy, and prescribe a medication like calcium hydroxide, to be inserted inside the injured tooth. Once healing begins and swelling has subsided, a permanent root canal filling is completed.

In some cases, a tooth may have been pushed partly out of its socket. We will reposition and stabilize the tooth, then assess its health. If the pulp has not been compromised, then no further action is needed. However, if the pulp is damaged or infected, we will perform a root canal as needed.

Avulsed Teeth

If an injury leads to tooth loss, and teeth have been knocked completely out, then you need to act fast and will require immediate emergency care. We won’t sugar coat it, you’ll be in a lot of pain, but try to keep the tooth moist, and if possible place it back into its socket. The good news is that keeping the tooth moist can mean possibly saving it. Placing the tooth in a glass of milk or water and adding a pinch of salt can also be an effective alternative in an emergency.

The restoration of your teeth depends on the nature of the injury, how long your tooth was out of your mouth and the state of your root development. Once we assess all these factors we can begin appropriate treatment.

Dental Injuries in Children

Immature or baby teeth play an important role in the healthy development of your child’s mouth. Addressing dental injuries and emergencies early is a key factor in a child’s dental health.  If an injury causes damage, we may need to do one of the following procedures to try and save the natural tooth:

Apexogenesis

Apexogenesis is a procedure where soft tissue is covered with a medication that encourages the root to keep growing. The apex (root) continues to close and the walls of the root will thicken as the child grows. If the pulp heals, this is great news, as it will also allow the root to mature naturally and increase the chance of the tooth’s survival.

Apexification

With apexification, we remove the unhealthy pulp and place medication into the root. This medication helps to form a hard tissue near the root tip, which will create a barrier for the root canal filling. In this case, the root walls will no longer develop and the child’s tooth will be prone to cracks and fractures. We recommend having the tooth restored properly to help save the natural tooth from further damage.

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