Tooth contusion

The main symptom of tooth contusion is pain caused by percussion or biting something. Palpation of the mucogingival junction will also cause pain. However, the most important symptom of tooth contusion is change of color of the crown. It is caused by hemorrhages of pulp tissues. After trauma crown of the tooth becomes pink. Tooth contusion demands serious treatment. First of all it is necessary to trepanize the tooth cavity and remove the damaged pulp. This procedure is rather painful. This is why anesthesia is used to reduce painful feelings. When the damaged pulp has been removed, it is necessary to treat the root canal with hydrogen peroxide. All this is done in order to prevent coloration of dental crown. As soon as all symptoms of acute periodontitis have been treated, the dentist can fill the root canal.

If the dentist failed to find out whether there was hemorrhage in the pulp (that is definitely not the dentist`s fault), it is necessary that the dentist should check electroexcitability of the pulp some days after the first examinations.

These few days are necessary to eliminate the reaction of periodontal tissues. If the pulp reacts in a proper way, you will not need dentist`s assistance in treatment of tooth contusion.

However, if the investigation showed a lowered reaction but the tooth reacts to current more than 100 microampere, it means that the neurovascular fascicle placed in the root part of the tooth was seriously damaged. This means that removal of pulp is inevitable. In case of lowered electroexcitability of pulp (20-60 microampere) another examination is necessary. It is usually carried out a week after the first one. This second examination will help the dentist to decide how to cope with the problem.

How to treat tooth contusion?

First of all give your tooth some rest stop eating solid food. Children with temporary teeth do sometimes suffer tooth contusion. If a child has tooth contusion, it is easy to exclude the tooth from contact with other teeth by means of polishing the edge of the opposite tooth.

However, it is not recommended to polish the edge of permanent tooth. Serious traumas can damage pulp tissues to such an extent that the only way to treat the problem is to trepanize the crown, remove pulp and fill the root canal. Sometimes dental crown can become darker after the procedure. In that case it is recommended to bleach the tooth before filling it.