Emergency Help for Dental Trauma

Types of Dental and Mouth Injuries

Trauma to the mouth can affect teeth, gums, lips, tongue, the jawbone, or all of these at once. Teeth may chip, crack, fracture at the root, get pushed into the bone (intrusion), pushed outward (extrusion), or knocked out entirely (avulsion). The gums and lips may be cut or torn. The jawbone can fracture, particularly at the condyle (the joint where the jaw meets the skull) or at the angle of the jaw. Soft tissue injuries in the mouth tend to bleed heavily because the area has a rich blood supply, which can make injuries look worse than they are. That said, any trauma that involves head injury, loss of consciousness, or difficulty breathing needs emergency medical assessment before dental treatment.

What to Do After a Mouth Injury

Control bleeding by pressing clean gauze or a cloth firmly against the wound for ten to fifteen minutes. If a tooth is knocked out, follow the handling instructions on our knocked-out tooth page. If teeth are loose but still in the socket, try not to touch them and eat only soft food. Collect any tooth fragments and store them in milk. Apply a cold compress to the outside of the face to reduce swelling, using a barrier like a cloth between the ice and skin. Take over-the-counter pain relief if needed. Then call for an urgent dental appointment. If you suspect a jaw fracture (pain when moving the jaw, teeth not aligning normally, numbness in the lower lip), go to a hospital emergency department.

Assessment and Stabilisation

The dentist will assess all injuries, take X-rays to check for root fractures and bone damage, and determine which teeth can be saved. Displaced teeth may be repositioned and splinted to neighbouring stable teeth. Fractured teeth will be assessed for nerve involvement and treated accordingly, which might involve bonding, root canal therapy, or extraction depending on the severity. Soft tissue wounds may need suturing. The initial visit focuses on stabilisation, pain relief, and preventing further damage. Follow-up visits are essential to monitor healing, check for delayed complications like root resorption, and complete any definitive restorations.

Frequently Asked Questions