Dental Trauma
Dallas, TX
 Facial injuries can cause a fair amount of emotional and physical trauma by damaging facial bones, skin, and teeth. Specialists classify facial injuries as bone injuries (fractures), soft tissue injuries (affecting gums and skin), or injuries to the eyes, salivary glands, and facial nerves. Sports injuries, automotive accidents, work-related injuries, falls, and violent altercations are all potential causes of facial and dental trauma.
In acute cases, our Dallas Oral Surgery Associates team is trained to provide emergency care, replace teeth, perform mouth reconstruction, and rehabilitate patients.
Treating Facial Injuries
Our surgeons determine the best treatment options for facial injuries by considering the patient’s age, overall health, and the location and severity of the facial fracture. Facial fractures are not treated with casts but with various other treatment options.
Wiring the jaws together is one option to treating certain fractures in the upper and lower jaws, but this method significantly restricts jaw and mouth movement during recovery. Other types of jaw fractures may be more effectively treated with rigid fixation. This involves the surgeon placing small screws and plates in the affected area(s). Rigid fixation is a relatively recent oral surgery treatment that prevents our surgeons from having to wire the jaws shut. This treatment significantly improves the ease and duration of healing, allowing our patients to return to normal activities much faster than alternative options.
Our surgeons and clinical team understand that treating facial injuries requires vigilant and precise care. With thorough, careful treatment, we strive to preserve your most distinct facial features and make the smallest number of incisions possible.
Treating Injuries To The Teeth
When treating dental trauma, it is not unusual for our team to see one or multiple teeth suffering damage or injury. For more delicate cases, we may work with other dental specialists in order to achieve the best treatment outcomes. Our surgeons will need to replace or replant any teeth that have been knocked out or dislodged, and any fractures in the supporting bone will need to be treated. These procedures will require splinting, or stabilizing teeth by bonding or wiring them back together. We have a number of splinting methods available for treating these types of facial injuries.
If one of your teeth has been knocked out, place the dislodged tooth in milk or under your tongue to preserve it. A dislodged tooth can be reset in the dental socket if properly preserved, but the tooth must be placed as soon as possible. Any debris on the tooth can be rinsed off. Do not wipe, scrub, or brush the tooth. Tissue and ligament remnants on the tooth may be mistaken for debris, and these are crucial to resetting it in the mouth.
If your original tooth cannot be reattached or is severely damaged, our surgeons have other tooth replacement options available. Dental implants are an effective and durable option for replacing missing teeth, but our team must evaluate the condition of the bone and your overall health to determine if you are eligible for implants.
For more information on dental trauma or to schedule an appointment, please contact our office at 214-363-9946.
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