Dental Trauma

Contact Belvedere Dental Care at 021 4295556 a soon as possible for advice. Early and appropriate
management can have many advantages such as:

• Increased possibility of conserving the tooth’s vitality;
• Improve long-term prognosis
• Possibly reduce future complications which can lead to more complex and costly treatments

If you have Chipped your Tooth:

• Try to find the fragment, store it in milk and call Belvedere Dental Care as soon as possible. The dentist may be able to glue the fragment back on to the tooth but it is imperative to keep the tooth hydrated in milk.
• Don’t worry if you can’t find the fragment, your dentist will be able to use a tooth-coloured filling material to build your tooth up. If part of a back tooth is broken, it may either need a filling or a crown (also known as a cap).
• If the tooth is badly broken and the nerves are exposed, it may be a little sensitive and may even need root canal treatment. This involves removing the nerve and placing a root filling prior to rebuilding the tooth.

If Your Tooth is Knocked Out (Avulsed):

• Find the tooth. Hold the tooth by the crown (the white part), not by the root (the yellow part).
• If contaminated with debris, rinse briefly with cold tap water (plug the sink)
• If possible, Reimplant the tooth back in its socket immediately. This can be done by the child or an adult.
• Hold the tooth in place. Bite on a handkerchief to hold it in position and go to the dentist immediately.
• If you cannot put the tooth back in, place it in a cup of milk or saline. When milk or saline are not available, place the tooth in the patient’s mouth (between the cheeks and gums).
• Seek dental treatment. Dr Browne has a special interest in the management of sports injuries.

For further advice go to dentaltraumaguide.org/

Only Permanent teeth can be re-implanted.
Baby teeth should NOT be re-implanted.

Unsurprisingly, one of the most common causes of dental trauma is participation in contact sports (like Hurling, Gaelic Football, Rugby, Boxing, Soccer, Camogie, Basketball). The risk of dental injuries compared with general injuries is low but related costs are high so prevention is key.  Most injuries involve the front upper 4 teeth. These teeth tend to be the most challenging clinically and aesthetically to treat.  Ideally any activity where the potential for dental trauma can exist should utilize MOUTHGUARDS/GUMSHIELDS to protect these vulnerable front teeth.

A Mouthguard (gumshield) is defined as: a resilient device or appliance placed inside the mouth to reduce oral injuries, particularly to teeth and surrounding structures. They considerably diminish the injury to teeth subjected to stress in comparison with unprotected teeth. MG’s act by distributing the energy from an impact, decreasing the likelihood & severity of dental injury and brain concussion. MG’s are compulsory for all levels of Gaelic Football but we would recommend them for all contact sports.

There are two types of MG available – Boil & Bite and Custom-Made (provided by your dentist). While Boil & Bite are cheaper, they do not last as long or offer the same benefits as Custom-Made. Custom-Made MG’s are more comfortable, better quality, better fitting & specifically designed to prevent dental trauma and do not impact negatively on sporting performance.