Traumatic Dental Injuries San Antonio, TX

Most dental emergencies are due to some type of traumatic dental injury in San Antonio, TX. From falling on a slick surface to taking a blow during a basketball/football game, a dislodged or broken tooth requires immediate attention by our root canal emergency dentist in San Antonio, Texas to save your smile and relieve your pain.

Depending on the type of injury you’ve experienced in San Antonio, the treatment may range from stabilizing your tooth to performing a root canal. Here are some of the most common traumatic injuries that we see:

Pressure on a cracked tooth can cause irritation to the nerve inside of it, especially when microscopic movement occurs between the two fractured pieces. Once the pressure is relieved, the crack closes and causes sharp pain to the underlying pulp (nerve) tissues. Gradually, bacteria can seep in through the crack, causing discomfort even if you aren’t using the tooth. An abscess may also develop.

Dislodged Tooth — Trauma to the mouth may cause teeth to be pushed back or up into the socket. In either situation, the nerve between the tooth root and the jaw can become dislodged, resulting in pain, infection, or tooth death. Treatment protocol usually involves resetting the tooth and stabilizing it with the adjacent teeth. Depending on how the tooth responds, a root canal may or may not be necessary.

Knocked Out (Avulsed) Tooth — A completely knocked out tooth requires immediate treatment. It’s crucial to keep the tooth moist. Ideally, you will want to put the tooth directly back into the socket. If that’s not possible, store your tooth in a sealed container, completely submerged in milk or water (with a pinch of salt), and get to our San Antonio office within the hour. Take note not to handle the tooth by the root or attempt to scrub it clean — a brief rinse is fine if there is visible debris — as doing so could damage the small fibers that aid in reinsertion.

SPECIAL TREATMENTS FOR CHILDREN

In a young child, permanent teeth are still developing. Although the crown may be visible above the gums, the root underneath is likely to continue to grow. As such, they require special types of treatment to encourage normal oral development and save their smile. Our San Antonio specialist may recommend a special procedure to heal the nerve and allow the roots to properly thicken (apexogenesis.) If the pulp needs to be removed, proper follow-up will be required due to a halt in tooth development (apexification.)

Whether you need to have a gentle root canal, remove the tooth, or replace it with a dental implant, we can make arrangements that facilitate quality care and long-term durability.