Impacted dental dislocation

The term "impacted dental dislocation" is used to denote the situation when the root of the tooth plunges into bone tissues of alveolar ridge or jaw. It is also used to denote complete or partial dislocation of the crown into the alveolus. Impacted dental dislocation is usually caused by a knock on the cutting part of tooth. Impacted dental dislocation is often accompanied by complete rupture of periodontal tissues.

Neurovascular injuries are also caused by impacted dental dislocation. When the wider part of the tooth plunges into the alveolus, it damages (deforms and compresses) trabeculae of alveolar bones. Bone marrow space is being compressed, the sides of the alveolus are being moved apart. There is another unpleasant possibility connected with impacted dental dislocation. It can cause torsion of tooth as well as its dislocation in palatine or vestibular direction.

Dentists consider impacted dental dislocation to be a specific type of dislocation that belongs to a separate group.

The thing is that impacted dental dislocation has signs of both complete and incomplete dental dislocations as well as a series of symptoms not typical for the first two cases. Impacted dental dislocation causes complete destruction of alveolus bottom. Moreover, it makes periodontal fissure disappear.

One should be able to recognize the symptoms of impacted dental dislocation. Patients with impacted dental dislocation usually suffer toothache, gingival haemorrhage, decrease of tooth depth, painful feelings while eating (those are caused by injured tissues around the tooth). Medical examination shows that the depth of crown of the sore tooth has decreased. On the face of it, one may think that a part of dental crown just broke off though in fact it did not. Careful examination will definitely show that cutting edge of the tooth has been turned or that it is bent. There are cases of vestibular and oral bends.

In case of impacted dental dislocation cutting edge of the tooth can be on the gum level or slightly stick out. Sometimes dental crown can be found only with the help of sounding. In fact the tooth cannot change its position. Mechanical jamming in the bone tissue and impaction make the tooth immovable. Percussion does not cause too much pain. However, mucous edema is an inevitable consequence of impacted dental dislocation. Palpation of the damaged tissues is not very painful. X-Ray examination will show that that crown of the impacted tooth is inside the alveolar socket while the tip of the root of damaged tooth is outside the alveolar socket. If the damaged tooth is located on the upper jaw, the tip of the root is higher than the root and vice versa.

It is usually difficult to locate periodontal fissure as the wider part of the root of the tooth sunk into the alveolus and reaches its sides. Sometimes it is next to impossible to locate the cortical plate of alveolus. It depends on how deep the tooth has sunk into the alveolus. There are cases when impaction is so strong that the tooth is located in the jaw body of the patient. So, as you see, impacted dental dislocation is a serious problem that must be solved quickly. Otherwise it may case many problems and complications.