Most traumatic dental injuries occur in children however people of all ages can be affected. These types of injuries include chipped, dislodged or sometimes knocked out teeth. When this occurs in a child usually under 12 years old the tooth is still developing. In these cases some or all of the pulp tissue is removed and the canal is medicated with a calcium hydroxide. The tooth is then monitored for healing over a period of time and when the time is right the root canal therapy is completed. If the tooth is completely avulsed it should be put back in the socket as soon as possible and stabilized with a splint. Root canal therapy can the be started in a week or two.
Root fractures may also result by trauma. Horizontal fractures close to the root tip have a better chance of survival with endodontic therapy than fractures closer to the gum line. In some cases splint are used to stabilize the fractured tooth.Timely treatment in trauma cases affect the long term health of the tooth.
