Traumatic Dental Injuries in San Francisco
A blow to the mouth can happen in an instant. What happens in the minutes and hours afterward determines whether the tooth survives. Time is the most critical factor.
Act Fast
What to Do Right Now
Knocked-Out Tooth (Avulsion)
Pick up the tooth by the crown (the white part)—never the root. If dirty, rinse gently with milk or saline. Do not scrub or remove any tissue. If possible, place the tooth back in the socket and hold it in position. If you can’t replant it, keep it in a container of milk or the person’s saliva. Get to our office within 30 minutes—every minute counts for saving a knocked-out tooth.
Displaced or Loosened Tooth
If a tooth has been pushed into the gum, pushed out of position, or loosened by a blow, do not try to force it back into alignment. Apply gentle pressure with a clean cloth if there’s bleeding. Call us immediately—repositioning and stabilizing the tooth early dramatically improves the outcome.
Fractured Tooth
If a tooth is chipped or broken, save any fragments and rinse your mouth gently with warm water. Apply a cold compress to reduce swelling. If the fracture is large enough to expose the pink pulp tissue inside the tooth, this is an emergency—the pulp must be protected to prevent infection.
Why Dental Trauma Needs a Specialist
The visible damage from dental trauma—a chip, a crack, a loose tooth—is only part of the story. The real question is what happened to the nerve and blood supply inside the tooth and to the supporting bone and ligament around it. These internal injuries may not produce symptoms immediately but can lead to pulp necrosis, root resorption, or ankylosis weeks or months later if not monitored and managed by a specialist.
At Endodontic Arts of San Francisco, we use CBCT 3D imaging to assess the full extent of root and bone damage that traditional X-rays miss, determine the vitality of the pulp, and establish a treatment and monitoring plan tailored to the specific type and severity of the injury. Whether your tooth needs splinting, root canal treatment, or careful observation over time, we’ll guide you through the process.
Common Traumatic Dental Injuries We Treat
Dental trauma encompasses a wide spectrum of injuries, each requiring a different treatment approach. The injuries we commonly evaluate and treat include: crown fractures ranging from enamel-only chips to complex fractures exposing the pulp; root fractures at various levels; luxation injuries where the tooth is displaced, intruded (pushed into the bone), or extruded (partially pushed out); avulsion (complete tooth knockout); and alveolar bone fractures.
Treatment may involve splinting the injured tooth to neighboring teeth for stabilization, root canal treatment if the pulp has been compromised, vital pulp therapy in cases where the pulp exposure is recent and conditions are favorable, and ongoing monitoring with periodic imaging to catch delayed complications like root resorption.
Dental Injury? Every Minute Matters.
Call us immediately after a dental injury. We’ll prioritize your visit and do everything possible to save your tooth.
Related Services
Emergency Root Canal • Cracked Teeth • Root Canal Treatment • CBCT 3D Imaging