My daughter plays catcher for her Little League team, and at her game this last week she took a bat right in the mouth. I took her immediately to the emergency room, and they said they could not see any fractures as determined by a CAT scan. That was good, but her top two front teeth are incredibly loose. Is she going to lose them? They wouldn’t really say one way or the other at the ER, and my dentist has been out of town. I have an appointment to get her in in two days, but I guess I’d like to hear your opinion on this, too. She is 11, and these are permanent teeth.
The piece of skin that holds her upper lip to her top jaw also ripped, but they said that it was not going to affect her one way or the other, and that stitching it would be more trouble that it is worth. Is that really so? I just thought the ER doctor seemed incredibly blase about the whole thing. I know he sees a lot worse every day, but this is my child!
Kristy in Manistee
Dear Kristy,
I am glad to hear that you are getting her in to see your dentist. Her teeth need to be bonded into the correct position as soon as possible, provided that the roots are not cracked. If there are no fractures or cracks in the roots of her teeth the bone will heal, and everything should be fine.
If the roots of the teeth are fractured, she may lose one of both teeth. Given her age, you’ll have some time to decide how you want to handle the permanent fix while she wears a temporary dental bridge. You may decide on dental implants, or a permanent fixed dental bridge might be a good choice. Make sure you seek the services of a talented, experienced cosmetic dentist to help you make this decision.
If the roots of the teeth are just damaged, she may need a root canal treatment.
Though his bedside manner sounds like it could use some work, the ER doctor was correct: that piece of skin that ripped is not an issue, and may even grow back.
Dr. Currie is an excellent York PA family dentist, happy to see everyone in your family for their dental needs.
This blog post provided as a courtesy of the office of York cosmetic dentist Dr. Currie.
Tags: damaged teeth, dental accident, dental bridge, dental implants, injury to mouth, root canal treatment