Dental injuries are a common occurrence, particularly during winter sport. A knock to the face, mouth or jaw can be quite distressing, particularly after the adrenaline wears off and you begin to feel sore and sorry. The most likely teeth to have dental trauma are the upper front teeth commonly 40 – 60% of the time followed by the lower front teeth at 20% of the time.
Dental injuries are a head injury, so besides the tooth injury, it is always important to check for clear fluid coming out of the patient’s ear/s, a headache that keeps getting worse, any changes in behaviour or changes in speech. If any of these occur the patient needs assessment by an emergency physician.
What do I do if the tooth has been knocked out?
If the tooth has been knocked out then the sooner it is replaced the better! Ideally it needs replacing within 45 mins of the tooth coming out. If you can replace the tooth at the time it will work the best. The tissues are still in shock so it won’t hurt too much. If not please keep the tooth in milk and do not rub the root surface of the tooth and get to a dentist asap.
Can anything be done for a broken tooth?
If the tooth breaks it may be possible for the dentist to glue the broken piece/s back onto the tooth. Sometimes the pieces are too small or hard to find but please bring as much as you can with you in some water. It is a good idea to have the tooth checked. If the tooth is out of position it is also possible early on to re-position it. If it moves easily you can gently and carefully do that yourself and see your dentist asap. For more information, please read more about our emergency dental services or call (08) 8212 3880 to book with our team.
August dental clinic news
August has seen the wind and rain arrive in the city. It is cosy and warm in the clinic! Currently the lift in the building is being renovated so please come up the stairs. We are all getting great exercise climbing the stairs! We will be seeing dental hygienist Julie McDonald in the city practice more during early August, as Kylie takes some time off.
Recently we celebrated Kim’s 10-year work anniversary with us! I am sure most of you have seen Kim as you enter the practice and had lovely chats. Flowers, wine and a massage was a must. You must see the pictures, they are on the Adelaide City Dental Care Facebook page.
Last month, we talked about our new exciting piece of equipment in the form of an intraoral scanner. Dr Michelle Stone has been using it for a variety of people. It was especially good for use with a very young lady who had had a bad experience previously with impressions. We were able to do the scan, make a 3D printed model and then make her a gorgeous speckled mouthguard for her chosen sport of soccer.
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