Traumatic Injury

Dislodged teeth: Injuries to the mouth can cause teeth to be pushed deeper into their sockets. Dentist may reposition and stabilize your tooth. Root canal treatment is usually started within a few weeks of the injury and a temporary medications, such as calcium hydroxide, will be placed inside the root. Eventually, a permanent root canal filling will be placed.

Sometimes, a tooth may be pushed partially out of the socket. Again, dentist may reposition and stabilize your tooth. If the pulp remains healthy, there no other treatment is necessary. However, if the pulp becomes damaged or infected, root canal treatment will be required.

Avulsed teeth: If an injury causes a tooth to be completely knocked out your mouth, It is important that you are treated immediately.

Injuries in children: An injured, immature tooth may need one of the following procedure to improve the chances of saving the tooth.

Apexogenesis: This procedure encourages the root to continue development as the pulp is healed. Pulp tissue is covered with medication to encourage the growth. The tip of 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: In this case, the unhealthy pulp is removed. Dentist places medication inside the root to induce closure of the root tip. This closure provides a barrier which keeps the root canal filling material in his proper position. At this point, the canal walls will not continue to develop, making the teeth more susceptible to fracture. Therefore, it is important to have the tooth properly restored.