In dental practice, the treatment of patients with various injuries is a frequent occurrence. Medical attention is also required for a bruised tooth. This is usually observed in children and adults during active games, sports or when moving. Timely assistance will restore the condition of the tooth, preventing deterioration of its condition. The causes and treatment are described in the article.
What is this?
Tooth bruising is a mechanical closed damage to the tooth, in which violations of the integrity of the tissues are not noticeable. Its rupture or tear is observed in the alveolus or in the pulp tissue. When a tooth is bruised, severe bleeding appears, probably partial damage to the nerve bundle. The blood will have a dark tint, and there will be severe pain.
Injury occurs due to the active lifestyle of children, due to the incomplete formation of the motor apparatus. Although this should not lead to fear, you still need to go to the dentist. This will prevent incorrect formation of the bite or facial muscles, as well as violations infunctioning of the masticatory muscles. When the process is reversible, the dentist performs all medical procedures.
Reasons
Tooth bruising usually comes from:
- fall;
- fights;
- strong impact when playing sports;
- poor-quality extraction of a diseased tooth, which was on the other side;
- accidents or traffic accidents.
These reasons are common. In any case, if an adult or a child has bruised a tooth, it is necessary to consult a dentist in order to prevent complications.
How does this manifest itself?
When a tooth is bruised, the symptoms may be as follows:
- Bleeding occurs as fibers and small blood vessels in the tissues rupture.
- Serious violations may not be. When examining a tooth after an injury, damage is not always visible.
- Incisor mobility rarely occurs.
- Probable slight pain when eating, biting into solid food - apples, pears, nuts.
- Gingival swelling appears.
- There is a feeling that the tooth has become higher than the rest.
- Usually little bleeding.
- Blood may come out from under the gums.
- When the pulp is injured, a hemorrhage from it is likely, due to which the surface of the enamel becomes pink.
- If the bruise is severe, pulp death is likely.
- Cracks can be small, so only a dentist can detect them with special tools.
- Might be a nagging pain.
- Pain sensations appear whentapping the bruised area.
- Probably crown darkening.
- There is reddening of the gums at the site of injury.
If a tooth is loose or any of these symptoms appear, you should consult a doctor. Only a specialist is able to provide professional assistance by restoring the condition of the tooth.
Types of injury
There is a classification of dental injuries, differ depending on the causes and consequences. The following types are distinguished:
- Acute and chronic. Characterized by the duration of exposure to various factors that cause tooth decay.
- Injuries of milk or permanent teeth (in the first case there will be more risk of dislocations, and in the second - fractures of crowns, roots).
If we take into account the completeness of the formation of the root system of the teeth, then damage can be:
- during root growth;
- with incompletely formed root tip;
- when fully formed.
According to the characteristics of injuries, injuries are:
- no complications - quickly detected and easily eliminated;
- combined (include several forms: dislocation and fracture of the root or crown of the tooth; dislocation, fracture of the root / crown).
Any mechanical trauma to the tooth causes inconvenience. Whatever the damage, first aid is required. Treatment is provided as needed.
In addition to a bruise, there may be a dislocation of the tooth, which involves its displacement in the hole. This condition is of varying degrees.including before the tooth falls out of the alveoli. Pain is usually felt, bleeding of the gums is observed. Treatment involves the restoration of the tooth in its place under anesthesia, and then splinting. If the pulp is disturbed during dislocation, it must be removed, and the canal is sealed. With complete dislocation, the tooth is replanted, and if this procedure is impossible, prosthetics are required.
Tooth injuries include cracks. They occur in enamel, can reach the enamel-dentin border, can pass through the dentin and reach the pulp. A crack cannot always be detected with the naked eye, but it is detected by magnifying and fiber optic devices. If the crack reaches the root, then the tooth must be removed.
The number of injuries includes a fracture of the tooth, which leads to its complete loss. It will be easier to restore a tooth with a broken crown. But if the tooth is milk, then grinding of sharp edges, polishing and coating with floral varnish is required. With a broken crown of a permanent tooth, its restoration is likely. There are now many non-toxic materials available to restore decayed crowns of permanent teeth. Therefore, sometimes prosthetics and orthodontic treatment are not needed.
Features of trauma in children
In a child, damage to a milk tooth can lead to sad consequences. This is due to the fact that his system of teeth is not fully formed. The only advantage is that the injuries in this case are independent, and this does not lead to damage to the remaining facial parts.
Treatment of bruises in children is more difficult,because they are impatient and more sensitive. The most common injury is a bruised front teeth. In this case, several teeth can be lost, which leads to serious aesthetic violations. If you do not take timely therapeutic measures, then there is a risk of inflammation. This stops the formation of the permanent teeth system and causes a decrease in the functioning of the jaw structures.
Diagnosis
A loose or aching tooth is treated depending on the level of injury. In order to prevent serious complications, destruction of the incisor and tissues, the doctor takes the following measures:
- In case of aching tooth, an anesthetic is injected before the examination.
- When a visual examination is done, an X-ray examination is required. To identify complications and get complete information, you should read the picture.
- Computed tomography is performed to get a three-dimensional image.
- Electroodontodiagnostics can be carried out, which will help to identify the condition of the patient's pulp. This requires the application of an electric current to the nerve bundles to test their excitability. To compare, perform a test of the diseased and he althy tooth.
- Transillumination can be prescribed by a doctor. A beam of light passes through the injured incisor, due to which a shadow is reflected. If there are even minor microcracks in the light stream, it will be easier to see them.
Such procedures appear if the tooth is loose or there is severe pain. Diagnosticprocedures allow you to determine the method of further treatment.
Treatment
Mandatory treatment for bruised tooth required:
- If a bruise is detected, then a slight load on the cutter is necessary. For 3-4 weeks, you should not chew food on the painful side, it is better to exclude the use of solid foods.
- The diet should be liquid or crushed food.
- Doctor may prescribe mouthguards.
- Could be splinted. This relieves the load during meals and redistributes it to the rest of the oral cavity.
- When the pulp dies, the area of the bruise is opened and removed.
- Root canal filling in progress.
- Establish a permanent filling.
- When the crowns darken, they are whitened.
- When milk teeth are bruised, the cutting edge is polished.
- Painkillers may be prescribed: Ketorolac, Nimesulide, Ibuprofen.
- The gums are treated with special gels: Camisada, Dentonol.
- For swelling of soft tissues, compresses soaked in cold water or ice are used. Keep them on the cheek at the site of injury for at least 15 minutes.
- Magnetic laser therapy is used during tissue injury. The treatment includes 10 treatments.
- UHF-therapy is used to quickly restore tissue cells.
- For minor injuries, recovery is carried out without the help of a doctor after 3-4 weeks.
Probable Complications
Whateverthe degree of injury was not, the prognosis for the preservation of the tooth is positive. The victim needs to see a doctor as soon as possible. Without timely treatment, complications are likely:
- When hemorrhaging into the pulp, there may be a pink coloration of the root, which eventually turns brown. Gradually there is a tarnishing of the enamel, the death of a bruised tooth.
- If there was no timely treatment when the pulp ruptured, then periodontitis is likely to develop.
- Tissue inflammation occurs.
- There is a high risk of developing pulpitis.
- In the advanced course of the disease, a purulent infection appears in the mouth.
- Probably blood poisoning.
- There is a risk of tooth loss.
- When the primary teeth are injured, the formation of permanent incisors is disrupted.
Prevention
Preventive measures allow preventing tooth trauma:
- At the workplace, it is important to comply with all safety measures established by the rules.
- Children should have a designated play area to minimize falls and injury.
- It is important to supervise children during outdoor games with sports equipment.
- All required protective equipment must be worn during extreme games and sports.
- While driving, you must follow the rules of the road.
- Use of seat belts required.
- You need to choose those sports and play areas where there is special equipment and high-quality fastening that allowsreduce the risk of injury.
Conclusion
After a tooth injury, you must immediately apply cold. On the same day, if possible, visit the dentist. It should be borne in mind that even with a minor injury, complications may appear.
