The Common Tooth Loss and Damage Causes

It’s no laughing matter when it comes to facial injuries and tooth problems. Unfortunately, anyone might be struck by an unexpected blow to the face, resulting in fractured bones or damaged teeth. Even if you don’t think your injury is significant, you should have it checked out by a medical specialist or oral surgeon. Some facial or teeth damage may not be obvious right away, but it can lead to a slew of problems down the road for which you may need a dental surgeon.

Causes of face and teeth injuries

Any injury caused by an external item is referred to as a traumatic injury. It could be anything as easy as slamming into a wall or something more catastrophic like a vehicle accident. Being aware of the probable causes is the first step in recognizing and treating face trauma and dental injury.

Accidents

Accidents are one of the most common causes of facial and dental injuries. A motor vehicle accident in which the face is driven into the dashboard or steering wheel, or a fall event in which the face strikes a counter, floor, or other hard surface can cause damage to the face bones and teeth, even if it does not appear serious at the time.

Injuries in Sports

Contact sports injuries, such as those sustained when playing basketball or volleyball, are a primary source of facial trauma and tooth damage. Something as simple as a flying elbow during a basketball game may appear to be unavoidable. It’s important to remember, though, that not all catastrophic injuries are obvious right first. If you sustain a blow to the face during a game, have a dental and facial injury specialist inspect you to make sure you don’t have any concealed major damage.

Trauma caused by violence

Face trauma and dental injury can be caused by violence involving fists and blunt objects. If you engage in martial arts, boxing, or other activities that involve strikes to the face, have your injuries properly evaluated by a medical practitioner who specializes in facial and dental trauma to rule out any potential fractures or tooth damage.

Facial Trauma and Dental Damage: What to Look for

Any impact to the face or teeth, regardless of the cause, can cause soft tissue, bone and nerve damage.

Recognizing the signs and symptoms of facial trauma

Although it may appear reasonable that facial injuries would be easily identifiable by the sight of bruises, discoloration does not always offer an accurate evaluation of all possible damage. In the treatment of superficial bruises surrounding the area, fractures of the nose, jaw, cheekbones may be ignored. A bone fracture, on the other hand, may appear to have little or no bruising, concealing more significant injury beneath. When there is blunt trauma to the face, make sure to have a skilled person to perform a thorough evaluation of the afflicted area. Furthermore, examinations for nerve injury and recovery are essential throughout the healing process.

Dental damage detection

Your teeth may be chipped or shattered if you’ve been hit in the mouth. Even though the teeth appear to be in good shape, they may have been pushed out of alignment, causing problems with eating and swallowing, migraines, and even TMJ. To avoid these problems, have your mouth and teeth inspected by a dental trauma expert after any blow to the mouth, even if it doesn’t appear to be serious.

Treatment and Prevention

Mouth guards, face shields and guards, and helmets can all help to avoid facial trauma and dental damage while participating in sports and martial arts. Prompt medical attention for any damage to the face or teeth caused by trauma will assist to avoid problems and speed up the healing and recovery process.

Dr. Wooten at Oral and Facial Surgery of Oklahoma is an oral surgeon who specializes in dental implants and oral surgery. Contact us today for dental surgeon to recognize and treat face trauma and dental damage.

**Disclaimer: This site content is not intended to be medical advice nor establishes a doctor-patient relationship.