Dislodged Teeth
Injuries to the mouth can occasionally cause teeth to be pushed back into their sockets. Your endodontist or general dentist may reposition and stabilize your tooth. You’ll likely begin root canal treatment within a few weeks of the injury and a medication, such as calcium hydroxide, will be placed inside the tooth. Eventually your endodontist or dentist will implant a permanent root canal filling.
Sometimes a tooth will only push partially out of the socket. In similar fashion, your endodontist or general dentist may reposition and stabilize your tooth. If the pulp remains healthy, then no other treatment is necessary. You’ll only require root canal treatment If the pulp becomes damaged or infected.
Avulsed Teeth
If an injury causes a tooth to be completely knocked out of your mouth, it is important that you seek treatment immediately. If this injury occurs, keep the tooth moist as a tooth can be saved if it remains moist. If possible, put it back into the socket. You can put the tooth in milk or a glass of water (add a pinch of salt). Your Endodontist may start root canal treatment based on the stage of root development. The type of treatment you receive will depend on the length of time the tooth was out of your mouth and the way you stored the tooth.
Injuries in children
An injured underdeveloped tooth may need one of the following procedures to improve the chances of saving the tooth:
Apexogenesis
Apexogenesis 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
With apexification, the unhealthy pulp is removed. Doctors place 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. To avoid fractures, it is important to have the tooth properly restored by your dentist.