OVERVIEW

Traumatic Injuries and Dislocation of Teeth is organized by MetLife.

Originally published: October 2021
Expiration date: October 2024

Description:
Traumatic dental injuries are often the result of facial trauma and may affect individuals of all ages. More than one billion individuals and an average of one in four ages 6-50 have experienced dental trauma.1,2 Several types of traumatic dental injuries involve soft and hard tissues, ranging from simple crown fractures (enamel fractures) to more complex and severe types associated with damage to the soft tissues and facial bones. The type and severity of the injury will influence its prognosis and determine the best treatment approach(es); meanwhile, the timing and chronology of treatment procedures are critical to improve the prognosis and save the affected tooth. In most cases, initial treatment for traumatic dental injuries occurs in a hospital setting and with a multidisciplinary care approach involving oral surgeons, general dentists, pediatric dentists, endodontists, periodontists and others. During the initial assessment, it is important that the clinician perform a rapid neurological exam, looking for signs and symptoms of brain concussion such as dizziness, headache confusion, visual disturbances, nausea and vomiting and memory loss as well as other signs of injury involving the head and neck. The patient should be referred to a physician for a comprehensive evaluation if the patient displays any of these signs and symptoms or if the dentist suspects there is a possibility of an injury involving the head and neck.

The International Association of Dental Traumatology (IADT) recently released updated guidelines for immediate and urgent care of traumatic dental injuries.3-6 Dental professionals, auxiliary staff, schoolteachers, coaches and parents may benefit from the free ToothSOS app available through both the IOS and Android app stores. This app utilizes the latest recommendations from IADT to aid the decisionmaking process for a traumatic dental injury. The app has an undemanding interface and uses simple language and photos to ensure that anyone (even with no dental training) can follow the proper protocol for immediate management of traumatic dental injuries

This Quality Resource Guide will focus on the clinical presentations and treatment guidelines for traumatic dental injuries associated with the dislocation of teeth; concussion/subluxation, extrusive luxation, lateral luxation, intrusive luxation and avulsion, to educate dental/health professionals about the management of facial/ dental traumatic injuries.

Educational Objectives:
Following this unit of instruction, the practitioner should be able to:
• Describe the classification of traumatic dental injuries associated with the dislocation of teeth.
• Discuss proper management of traumatic dental injuries.
• Revise timing and chronology of treatment procedures.
• Discuss prognosis and treatment outcomes.