Restoring Your Smile After a Dental Emergency
While the most crucial part of a dental emergency is the time immediately after the trauma occurs, there are still many important steps to ensure you have a full recovery from the lost or broken tooth. At the practice of Stephen R. Ho, DDS, we make sure all our Waikiki patients receive the necessary treatment they need so the dental emergency is only a brief disruption to their smile.
When Your Tooth is Knocked Out
Because small ligaments in the socket connect and secure teeth to the jaw, it can be quite easy for those teeth to become completely dislodged if they are hit with enough force. When avulsion happens, and you are successfully treated in enough time, there is a possibility that the tooth can reattach, restoring your smile without prosthetics. However, in many cases, the tooth cannot reattach.
You can replace a missing tooth by having an implant procedure, which is a multi-step restoration process. First, you will have the titanium post surgically placed in the gums where the tooth was, which will attach to the jawbone by osteointegration. The gums will need time to heal, but once they do, we will fit you with a restoration piece such as a crown.
When Your Tooth is Cracked, Chipped, or Broken
Sometimes a dental emergency happens where only a portion of the tooth or teeth suffer trauma. If the tooth root was strong enough to withstand impact, sometimes the tooth itself may not be so sturdy, with decay being one of the leading causes. A cracked tooth can qualify as a dental emergency if severe enough. Usually, you can rinse with salt water and purchase over-the-counter dental cement over it until treatment time to avoid any sharp edges cutting the inside of your mouth.
There are several methods available in the restoration process of a broken tooth. Smaller cracks often just require a filling, and if the crack is in a conspicuous spot, tooth-colored fillings can treat it with positive aesthetic effect. For the most inconsequential of chips, we can just shape the enamel to smooth out the surface and avoid filling or bonding. For larger chips or cracks, we may elect to place a crown over the affected area to protect and aid in proper function. Sometimes a crack or fracture extends to the tooth root, which requires root canal therapy before having the crown placed.
Contact Us in Waikiki Today!
Dental emergencies are relatively common occurrences that our staff at the practice of Stephen R. Ho DDS are well equipped to treat. If you had a tooth knocked out or cracked and are in need of restorative work, give us a call at our Waikiki office today for the solution to all your dental needs!