Believe it or not, teeth are the hardest part of the human body, harder even than bones. In fact, if you think about it for a second, I'm sure you can think of many more examples of people who have broken bones than teeth. However, accidents do happen, and when the time comes, dental trauma is often scary. Especially because, while it's always better not to fall, anyone would rather hit the ground with their hands or elbows than with their mouth.
If, unfortunately or unluckily, the time comes, one of the first things to do after suffering a blow is to go to a dental clinic as a matter of urgency. In fact, if it is not serious, it will obviously be one of the first things that the hospital or doctor's office will tell us to do. It is not uncommon for us as a dental clinic to receive patients with a freshly stitched lip after an accident, in order to solve their dental problem as well.
The first thing to do in these cases is to reassure the patient, who usually comes very nervous, and to assess the damage in order to be able to act accordingly and according to the initial diagnosis. The most expected consequences of dental trauma are usually the following:
Fissure
Although it is not normally treated as an emergency, as it is something that we may notice days or even months later, a crack can be quite serious for our teeth depending on whether it affects the crown, the root or both parts of the tooth.
One of the problems they present is that they may be imperceptible and not cause pain, so if they have been caused by a blow, we tend to divert our attention to the affected part that does hurt, the soft tissues such as the skin or lips or perhaps even the jaw. However, it is important to detect them in time, as the tooth is weakened by the crack and may break completely at another time.
Fissures require different treatments due to their shape (vertical, oblique or horizontal) and their depth or extension. If the fissure is mild or moderate, we will try to fill it with biocompatible cement, normally composite, to help preserve the tooth and prevent it from breaking completely. In more serious cases where the nerve has been affected, we will have to resort to endodontics and a more thorough reconstruction of the tooth, such as a crown or a ceramic inlay.
In other, even more serious cases, the part is completely unsalvageable and there is no choice but to remove it.
Loose
On other occasions, after the blow, our teeth are somewhat 'loose' or 'loose'. The most normal thing to do in these cases is to go to the dental clinic as soon as possible, as it is common to feel quite frightened and/or worried when we realise this. In addition, on many occasions, we also bleed from the soft tissue (the gum) around the affected tooth or teeth, which increases the level of concern of those who have suffered from it. However, depending on the age of the patient and the mobility of the tooth in question, it need not be anything serious.
For example, in this case that we uploaded on our social networks and that you can see here:
As you can see, thanks to splinting, the tooth is immobilised until the periodontal ligament (which is the affected area that causes the tooth to move) recovers completely. This treatment is very effective, minimally invasive and completely painless, so it is all advantages.
Fracture
Here there is no doubt: if you break a tooth after a blow, you will know immediately. The vital thing in these cases is to give it the importance it deserves and go to the dentist as soon as possible, where we will assess the degree of damage to the tooth, which may be:
Mild, a lesion involving only the enamel. It is most common to cover the exposed dentine with composite.
Moderate, a lesion affecting the enamel and dentine, with partial loss of the tooth but no pulp tissue involvement. It would also be repaired with aesthetic composite, although in this case it would simulate the missing 'little piece' of the pulled out tooth.
Severe, an injury that has already affected the internal tissue of the tooth and exposes the pulp and damages the internal nerve. In these cases there is no choice but to carry out a preventive endodontic treatment to avoid infection and then restore the tooth in the most appropriate way, which will depend both on the tooth and the fracture. Sometimes it will be a ceramic restoration such as an inlay or a crown, and sometimes composite will be sufficient.
Very serious, which causes the complete loss of the tooth and can affect the root and the maxillary bone. Although the circumstances of the blow do not always allow it, the best thing to do is to rinse the lost tooth and immerse it in milk (if it is skimmed, the better) and go to the dental clinic as soon as possible. If we do not take too long, there is a chance that the tooth can be reimplanted, although this depends on many factors, such as the involvement of the periodontal ligament and the maxillary bone. To control the bleeding, it is sufficient to place gauze in the hollow of the alvuscated tooth. The most important thing in such situations is to remain calm.
Necrosis or death
To understand how this can happen after a blow, it is first necessary to understand that we consider a tooth to be necrotic when there is no blood flowing through it. After a severe contusion, the enamel is not always fractured, which as we have already mentioned is the hardest part of the body, but the blood vessels supplying that particular tooth (or teeth) may have been compromised, resulting in the death of the pulp.
Although it is usually gradual, the clearest symptom of this pulp death is the darkening of the tooth, and it is important to go as soon as possible so that an endodontic treatment can save it. Otherwise it would have to be extracted, but whenever possible we will try to keep the original tooth. Afterwards, as the tooth has completely lost its vitality, it is necessary to resort to a dental veneer or internal whitening to return it to its previous aesthetic state.
Colour change
Fortunately, the darkening or change in colour of a tooth is not always caused by necrosis of the tooth. Sometimes the contusion causes the minerals found in the bloodstream to infiltrate the tooth, which causes this change in colour. If you are concerned about the aesthetic result, your dental clinic will be able to help you. Spectacular results like this can be achieved: