After a car accident, you may experience serious injuries, including dental trauma. Sometimes, you may not notice the damage to your teeth until weeks or months after the accident, so it can be challenging to know when it’s time to see a dentist. Therefore, it’s important to look out for symptoms that may indicate you need professional care. At Rockland Dental Specialists in New York, we take all cases of dental trauma seriously and do everything we can to make you comfortable.
Regardless of your past experiences at the dentist, we go above and beyond to prioritize your health and safety while we develop the perfect solution for your issues. We understand the aftermath of a car accident can be stressful, so we want your time with us to be as easy as possible. With our over 24 years of combined experience and state-of-the-art technology, we give you the confidence that you are getting the best care.
5 Signs of Dental Problems After a Car Accident
After a car accident, it’s essential to seek medical care right away to ensure you treat your injuries, so they do not become a long-term problem and worsen over time. This includes seeing a dentist to check for any dental problems. You should also pay attention to the following signs that could indicate you need professional treatment:
Pain
You should see a dentist if you feel any pain in your mouth after a car accident. Even if you see no cracks or other concerns, your inner gums or facial bones could have experienced trauma. This could result from whiplash, extreme acceleration or deceleration, hard impact, or improper seat belt usage. If your mouth pain persists for several days, it is time to see a dentist for an examination.
Sensitivity
If your teeth are sensitive when you bite food, drink, or brush them, you should visit your dentist. When your enamel wears away and exposes the tooth underneath, the nerve endings of the tooth are exposed, leaving them sensitive to temperature and pressure. This could be a result of a compromised nerve from the accident.
Trouble Chewing and Swallowing
You should see a dentist if chewing or swallowing food is painful after a car accident, as it could be a sign of mouth trauma. With the help of our caring specialists, we can determine the root cause of the problem and come up with the best solution to ease your discomfort.
Swelling
Swelling is one of the most common symptoms of mouth damage and often occurs at the site of the trauma. If you have more severe mouth damage, the swelling may spread across your lips and cheeks. We can assess the swelling and determine the best course of action to reduce the inflammation.
Bleeding
After experiencing mouth trauma from a car accident, bleeding is a common symptom. But bleeding can result from broken blood vessels, which could lead to more serious issues. Therefore, it’s important to see a dentist if you experience bleeding in case it is a sign of severe trauma.
What Causes Teeth To Chip?
In general, we can classify the causes of chipped teeth into three broad categories. These are the most common underlying causes of chipped teeth.
- Trauma to the Face or Mouth
A forceful blow to the face or mouth will often cause a chipped tooth or teeth. Car accidents, sports injuries, or physical altercations can result in trauma to the teeth. Teeth are very hard and strong, but they can break under a force that is strong enough.
- Chronic Damage From Clenching or Grinding
When someone clenches or grinds his or her teeth frequently, this causes something we call microtrauma. Unlike the single large force that causes a break in the tooth described in the previous section, microtrauma is the accumulation of small amounts of force over a sustained period of time. Clenching and/or grinding during sleep damages the teeth slowly, leading to weakening and eventual chipping of the enamel.
- Decay
When a tooth has a cavity, the outer layer of enamel can become undermined by soft decay underneath. This leads to a weak shell of tooth structure that can chip or break under even normal chewing forces.
Can A Cracked Tooth Be Repaired with Dental Treatments?
The treatment for a chipped tooth depends on the extent of the chip. Tiny chipping that causes a sharp or jagged edge may require only some smoothing and reshaping of the tooth. Often the dentist can rebuild a moderate-sized chipped tooth with tooth-colored composite resin filling material.
If an injury causes the loss of a significant amount of tooth structure, more extensive treatment could be necessary. In some cases, the break extends into the tooth’s hollow nerve chamber, exposing it to bacteria and infection. These teeth require removal of the nerve via root canal treatment followed by full coverage of the tooth with a dental crown.
In rare cases, the injury to a tooth can cause a fracture of the tooth’s root underneath the gums. This type of damage does not respond well to treatment, so the prognosis is poor or hopeless. These teeth require extraction and replacement with a bridge or dental implant.
How To Prevent Broken Teeth?
Because chipped teeth are so unpredictable, it is best to prevent them whenever possible. Obviously, no one plans to injure himself, but we can take protective measures in high-risk situations.
Athletes at risk of facial injuries from contact sports should always wear an athletic mouthguard. A custom-made professional mouthguard protects the teeth and surrounding soft tissues, as well as the jaw joints, from serious damage.
If you clench or grind your teeth during sleep, your dentist will be able to spot visible evidence of this inside your mouth. Anyone with this habit can protect the teeth from microtrauma and its associated damage by wearing a professional nightguard during sleep. Nightguards often serve dual purposes of acting as retainers to maintain tooth position and protect teeth from heavy clenching or grinding forces.
Almost all tooth decay is preventable. Make sure you are following a good oral hygiene regimen at home and seeing your dentist consistently for professional teeth cleanings and examinations. Avoid acidic and sugary beverages, and drink plenty of plain water. You can prevent cavities!
Schedule a Consultation With an Understanding New York Provider at Rockland Dental Specialists
While you may expect injuries to your head and limbs after a car accident, you may not know your mouth and teeth can also suffer damage. In addition to seeing a doctor after an accident, you should see a dentist to look for any potential problems involving your dental trauma. This is especially important if you experience pain, swelling, or bleeding symptoms. Our experienced and talented specialists can help you identify any problems and take the utmost care to find the right treatment.
We proudly provide top-notch dental services to those injured in New York car accidents, as we have for over two decades at Rockland Dental Specialists. We understand seeing a dentist can be intimidating, especially after a crash, but our upscale offices and kind team can make you feel comfortable and safe. We also offer payment plans, so you can treat your dental injuries cost-effectively. To schedule your consultation, fill out our contact form or call (845) 259-2500.
