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See also trauma and injury to the face, mouth
and jaws
How do teeth get injured?
Teeth can become chipped, cracked, broken into pieces and knocked
out completely. This usually happens as the result of a minor
or major accident (trauma).
Children often knock their front teeth when they trip or collide
during sports.
What can be done immediately?
If someone has injured their teeth, they might also have other
injuries that could be more serious in the short term. It is a
very good idea to get them checked out by a doctor, dentist or
oral and maxillofacial team if you are worried that they might
have hit their head, lost consciousness, have injured the soft
tissues of the face or might have broken their jaw etc.
If the injury is only minor, you should contact your dentist
for an 'emergency' appointment to assess what can be done to save
the function and appearance of the teeth.
What can be done for injured teeth?
If your tooth (or teeth) have been knocked out or displaced,
then it is possible for a dentist or oral and maxillofacial team
to replace it and for it to retain some function in the long-term.
Teeth that are chipped, cracked or broken can often be restored
to a good appearance and function - although sometimes this can
entail root treatments and crowning - especially in the longer
term.
What should I do immediately after the tooth has been knocked
out?
The most important thing is to look after the person who has
lost the tooth. Then you can worry about the tooth that has been
lost.
The root of the tooth is covered in live cells that are necessary
to restore good function to the replanted tooth. If you
can, find the tooth and gently (with a clean finger or hanky)
wipe any obvious dirt off it. Then gently place the tooth in something
clean and moist (eg a clean, wet hanky). One of the healthiest
ways to store teeth while they are being carried to the dentist
is in a clean container filled with milk.
Why have I been given a splint?
If you have had a tooth (or teeth) knocked out and/or damaged
significantly, the dentist or oral and maxillofacial team might
fit a splint to stop it and the bone under it moving around.
There are several different types of splints available depending
on the severity of the tooth injury. This splint usually stays
on for two weeks to allow the bone to heal.
At the end of this period, the splint is removed by the dentist
or oral and maxillofacial team.
Once the tooth (or teeth) are successfully implanted, your dentist
will carry out root-canal treatment. This will remove the damaged
nerves and blood vessels in the tooth/teeth.
My teeth still feel odd after the splint has been removed,
what should I do?
Even after the splint(s) have been removed, the affected teeth
might still be slightly loose.
You should avoid placing too much force on them while they are
still a bit fragile. For example, continue to eat only soft foods
and maybe eat elsewhere in your mouth until the affected area
has healed.
Will the repaired tooth look OK, after treatment?
It is quite common for teeth that have been knocked out or damaged
significantly to discolour over time. This is because blood products
leak into the tooth from its inside (root canal).
Having root-canal treatment by your dentist shortly after the
tooth is replaced will reduce the risk of discolouration and other
complications (such as infection).
What is a successful replacement of a knocked out tooth?
In the first few weeks and months after the tooth is knocked
out, dentists are happy when the tooth forms a stable join with
the bony and gum tissues supporting it, doesn't get infected and
doesn't give the patient significant pain.
In the longer term, the success will be judged by whether the
tooth and its supporting tissues can function well and look acceptable.
This often means further treatment including root treatments and
crowning.
Will the tooth stay alive?
Dentists call teeth 'alive', when they have functioning tissues
in their root canals, which includes blood vessels supplying the
live cells in the tooth and also nerves to detect hot and cold
and sweet.
Dead teeth are ones that have no functioning tissues in their
root canals, although they might still have live cells between
the tooth and the bone supporting it.
If a tooth has been knocked out completely, the connections to
these root canal tissues from the bone underneath will have been
broken and therefore the tooth will (usually) die. If this happens,
the contents of the root canals of the teeth will need to be removed
and blocked off with a filling.
What is more important in the long-term is whether the tooth
makes a healthy connection with the bone and gums that support
it.
What can I do to avoid getting/treat pain from my teeth?
Teeth signal pain from the tissues (nerves) in their root canals,
from any areas of infection or inflammation in the bony or soft
tissues surrounding them or when they are moved beyond healthy
limits. They respond to hot, cold, sweet, pressure and movement.
There are many reasons why you can get pain in your teeth or
mouth, and your dentist will be able to find out why you have
pain and what can be done to avoid or treat it. Before you can
visit your dentist and oral and maxillofacial team, the following
might help:
-
If you have a new strong tooth pain, without swelling, you
might have an infection ('hole') in a tooth - you need to
have this seen to by a dentist.
Avoiding hot and cold and biting on the tooth might help until
you can be seen.
-
If you have pain only on drinking hot or cold liquids or
food, you might have exposed root tissues.
Try using a desensitising toothpaste and get your teeth checked
regularly by a dentist too.
-
If you have a new strong pain and swelling/redness, you probably
have an infection around a dead tooth. You should see your
dentist urgently (you don't want the infection to spread to
your face or jaws).
If you don't have a dentist for any reason, do go to see your
general practitioner, who might be able to give you some painkillers
and antibiotics until you can find a dentist.
If you have facial swelling caused by an infected tooth/teeth,
you should see your dentist or oral and maxillofacial team
urgently.
-
If you are wearing an orthodontic appliance and your teeth
feel sore or hurt, do go back to see your orthodontist.
-
If you have a sore tongue, gums or other soft tissue areas
of your mouth, you might have one or more sores or mouth ulcers.
Have a look for one or more spots or 'craters', which might
be white with or without a red edge to them.
They can be caused by trauma (eg biting your cheek or tongue)
or infections (eg herpes simplex/cold sores).
These can be extremely painful or not painful at all.
Mouth ulcers usually heal quickly or within 2-3 weeks. If
you have had a sore or odd looking patch of mouth tissue for
longer than three weeks, do get it checked out by your dentist.
There are a number of less common reasons for odd-looking
lesions of the mouth (including mouth
cancer).
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