Traumatic Injuries
Dislodged Teeth
Injuries to your mouth can cause your teeth to be pushed backwards into their sockets. Dr. Funderburk 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, a permanent root canal filling will be placed.
Sometimes a tooth may be pushed partially out of the socket. Again, Dr. Funderburk 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 is required.
Avulsed Teeth
If an injury causes your tooth to be completely knocked out of your mouth, it’s important that you seek professional dental treatment immediately! First, keep your tooth moist. If possible, pick your tooth up by the crown, rinse (not scrub) debris off using tap water, and put it back into the socket (even before you call us)! Second, call Comfort Dental: Comfort Dental in Myrtle Beach SC Phone Number 843-448-5757.
Keep in mind the odds of saving your tooth are much greater if you keep the tooth moist. You can put the tooth in milk, a glass of water (add a pinch of salt), or even in the pouch of your cheek while on the way to our office.
Based upon the stage of root development, Dr. Funderburk may start root canal treatment. Again, 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.
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Injuries in children
An injured immature tooth may need one of the following procedures to improve the chances of saving a child’s tooth:
Apexogenesis
This procedure encourages the root to continue development as the pulp is healed. Soft tissue is covered with medication to encourage growth. The tip of the root (apex) will continue to close as the child gets older. In turn, the walls of the root canal will thicken. If the pulp heals, no additional treatment will be necessary. The more mature the root becomes, the better the chance to save the tooth.
Apexification
In this case, the unhealthy pulp is removed. Dr. Funderburk places medication into the root 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. Because of this, it is important to have the tooth properly restored.