Traumatic Injuries

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. Eventually, the canal will be filled with a permanent filling material.

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. If the pulp becomes injured or infected, root canal treatment will be required.

If an injury causes a tooth to be completely knocked out of the mouth, it is important to seek treatment immediately! The tooth should be kept moist. If possible, put it back into the socket  or you can put the tooth in milk or a glass of water (add a pinch of salt.) 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, will influence the type of treatment recommended and prognosis.

An injured immature tooth may need one of the following procedures to improve the chances of saving the tooth:

Apexogenesis

This procedure encourages the root to continue development as the pulp heals. The pulp is covered with medication to encourage continued root development. Follow-up is necessary. If the pulp heals, no additional treatment will be necessary.

Apexification

In this case, the unhealthy pulp is removed. A medication is placed into the root to stimulate hard tissue formation at the root tip. This hardened tissue provides a barrier for the root canal filling.