Dislodged Teeth
Injuries to the mouth can cause teeth to be pushed back into their sockets. Your Endodontist or general dentist may reposition and stabilize your tooth. Root canal treatment is usually started within a few weeks of the injury and a medication, such as calcium hydroxide, will be placed inside the tooth to prevent resorption from occuring. Eventually, a permanent root canal filling will be placed.
Sometimes a tooth may be pushed partially out of the socket. Again, your Endodontist or general dentist may reposition and stabilize your tooth. If the pulp remains healthy, then no other treatment is necessary. Yet, if the pulp becomes damaged or infected, root canal treatment will be required.
Avulsed Teeth
If an injury causes a tooth to be completely knocked out of your mouth, it is important that you are treated immediately! If this happens to you, keep the tooth moist. If possible, put it back into the socket. A tooth can be saved if it remains moist. You can even put the tooth in milk or a glass of water. Your Endodontist may start root canal treatment based upon the stage of root development. The length of time the tooth was out of your mouth and the way the tooth was stored may influence the type of treatment you receive and the tooth's prognosis.
Injuries in Children
An injured immature tooth may need one of the following procedures to improve the chances of saving the tooth:
Apexogenesis
In teeth where indicated, the pulp tissue is coverd with medication to encourage continued growth of the root system. If successful, the walls of the root canal will thicken and the apex of the root will develop. The more mature the root system becomes, the better the chance to save the tooth. If the pulp heals, no additional treatment will be necessary; otherwise, root canal treatment may be indicated once the root has completed development.
Apexification
In the event that the apex of the root has not completed development and the pulp tissue has become infected; apexification is the treatment of choice. The unhealthy pulp is removed and the doctor places medications into the root canal to help a hard tissue form near the root tip. This hardened tissue provides a barrier for the root canal filling. At this point, the root canal walls will not continue to develop, making the tooth susceptible to fractures. So it is important to have the tooth properly restored by your dentist.
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