Before a dental fracture it is important that you go to the dentist, especially in the case of children since the treatment could vary if it takes more than 24 hours to go to the dentist depending on the formation of the root.
The treatment to follow will vary depending on the extent of the fracture and whether we treat a child or adult. In both cases it is important that if you find the enamel fragment keep it and bring it to the dental office immediately, in the consultation where they will review it with X-rays and see that this tooth is still vital, so if we have the fragment it will be cemented again. In the event that we cannot find it, the tooth will be reconstructed.
When a dental fracture is confined only to enamel or to enamel and dentin, this type of fracture is called uncomplicated coronary fracture. These types of fractures usually occur in the upper incisors and usually in a single tooth. When you go to the consultation they should perform a clinical and radiological examination and look at the pulp vitality of the fractured piece to see that the nerve has not been affected.
Before a fracture like this we will perform the same treatment in children as in adults, in a first emergency visit, we will clean the dental surface and polish the sharp edges of the fractured tooth and if necessary we will take measures to perform a wax and in another visit perform the restoration (reconstruction of the fractured tooth). Not in all cases it is necessary to take measurements and wax-up, there are cases in which a restoration directly with composite. It is important before performing the reconstruction to have taken the color of the tooth so that the reconstruction is not a different color from the natural tooth.
Faced with this type of fracture, it is necessary to perform controls every so often to check the vitality of the tooth and that the reconstruction is still intact. The prognosis for this type of fracture is usually very good.
It is important that if you have the tooth fragment you bring it to the consultation since we can reposition it, by placing the natural tooth fragment we will obtain advantages such as the shape of the tooth, the color and the treatment time will be less.
The fragment of the fractured tooth must be intact and hydrated, the tooth will be rehydrated in the mouth, but during the time that it is fractured it is important that we put the fragment in a container with milk, the patient’s own saliva or physiological serum and go as quickly possible to the dental office so that they can adhere it to the natural tooth.
These types of fractures are mainly related to children who practice extreme sports. For this reason since Smile Care Plymouth Dental Plymouth We recommend that all those who practice sports such as basketball, boxing or soccer use mouth guards in order to avoid these risks.
Mouth guards are special prosthesis that serve to prevent orofacial trauma. They protect the teeth, soft tissues such as the cheeks, the jaw bones and the TMJ (the temporo-mandibular joint). Using mouth guards we will reduce the percentage of tooth loss, bone fractures and concussions, especially in professional players.
At Smile Care Plymouth we have different types of mouth guards, these vary in price depending on the economic possibility of each one. That is why it is important that, knowing this alternative, we use it and thus we can avoid taking unnecessary risks, especially for those patients who practice risky sports.
