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Dental accidents happen more often than you might think: especially during leisure time and during sporting activities, it can very quickly lead to tooth injury. All age groups are affected in principle - children, adolescents and active athletes, however, in particular. Few are aware that injured teeth are often still able to be saved. It is therefore all the more important to know what happens in a dental accident, which types of injuries can occur and how you can best respond to an accident.

Overview of this article

Types of Injuries and treatment options for a dental accident

Tooth accidents usually occur unpredictably and by the action of great force, such as falls, collisions or when the head is hit hard by an object (for example, a ball or a racket during sports). If the denture is not protected, such as by a sports mask or a chin guard on the bicycle helmet, the force is transmitted directly to the jaw. In the worst case, a broken jaw or broken teeth are the result. However, the consequences of an accident do not always show themselves so directly and clearly: often accident victims complain about

  • Loose teeth,
  • displaced teeth,
  • broken or cracked teeth.

Especially after accidents, the attention is usually first the general condition and possibly present injuries such as fractures, open wounds or the like. In this situation, it is also important to think about dental health. Only those who have their teeth examined or examined in addition to the obvious physical symptoms can avoid tooth loss as a result of an accident.

Chipped tooth: good chance of recovery

The most common dental injuries due to an accident include broken teeth. In this context, the medicine also mentions of a tooth trauma, ie a wound, injury or damage. In any case, a broken tooth should be given dental care to prevent mid and long-term tooth loss.

In the simplest case, the broken tooth piece is present and the dentist glues it back in time with a special adhesive. The tooth is then no longer as resilient as a healthy tooth, but still healthy and in optically good condition.

If the broken tooth piece is not available, the dentist can often provide the tooth with crowns and veneers. Lack of large pieces of teeth, the dentist has two options depending on the findings: He can use the remainder of the tooth as a basis for reconstruction - or he removes it and replaces the tooth with adequate dentures such as an implant or a bridge.

Chipped tooth: re-insertion possible

Did you know that knocked-out teeth can be used again? For this, however, it is necessary to visit a dentist or a clinic specializing in dental accidents as soon as possible. Depending on the condition, a tooth can be reused up to 48 hours after the accident. Ideally, the cells on the surface of the tooth root are still active enough to allow the tooth to heal. If the healing fails or the tooth can not be found, individually fitting dentures can be used to fill gaps. Depending on the condition of the dentition, the physician can insert an implant or have a bridge made. In addition to the insurance and financial situation of the patient, the decisive factor for the choice of therapy is whether and to what extent neighboring teeth have also been damaged. If adjacent teeth are not used as a bridge base, an implant may be the only way to replace the worn tooth.

Loosened or displaced tooth: Leave it alone

Loosened or displaced teeth as a result of an accident should always be examined by a dentist. In the simplest case, it is enough to just bite the teeth together carefully. The emphasis is on caution to avoid consequential damage. A visit to the dentist will tell you if the tooth root has been damaged or whether it is necessary to fix the displaced tooth.

Broken tooth or cracked tooth: tooth preservation almost always possible

The dentist can even save a broken tooth. The therapy depends on how the fracture or tear runs and how deep it is. Superficial, small cracks on the occlusal surface, for example, are not in need of treatment - but vertical cracks do. One of the most common concomitants of cracks in the tooth is damage to the pulp, ie their tooth nerve. To be able to receive the tooth, the dentist often performs a root canal treatment. Afterwards it is necessary to stabilize the tooth, for example by a construction with plastic or a crown.

Dental accident - and now?

A dental accident is often accompanied by severe pain and bleeding wounds, causing many injured people to panic. Rule number one is therefore: Keep calm! It is best to do the following:

  • Examine the oral cavity for injuries
  • Remove teeth or parts of teeth from the mouth to avoid ingestion and further injuries.
  • In the event of bleeding, gently bite on a clean piece of tissue (eg tissue, gauze bandage) and cool from the outside
  • Keep teeth or fragments of teeth safely and store carefully (ideally: dental rescue box from the pharmacy, cold milk or cling film are also suitable)
  • As soon as possible visit the dentist or dental clinic
  • Have the accident report made to the dentist to document accidental damage

Report to the health insurance and, if necessary, the dental insurance, so that the costs of consequential damages are also covered.

    What you should avoid in the case of a dental accident

    So that a dental accident does not lead to tooth loss, it is important to follow a few simple basic rules. Above all, you should avoid

    • panicking or downplaying the accident,
    • swallowing teeth or parts of teeth,
    • shutting your mouth (therefore: cooling),
    • cleaning the teeth or tooth fragments
    • touching the tooth root,
    • letting the teeth or tooth fragments to dry out,
    • placing the teeth or tooth fragments in water (only the nutrient solution from the rescue box or cold milk is suitable) and
    • delaying the visit to the dentist or in the dental clinic.

    All these errors can cause a damaged tooth to not be able to be repaired and a knocked-out tooth can no longer be used.

    Dental trauma: who pays the costs?

    Dental accidents can be expensive - especially if the dentist needs to rebuild a tooth or completely replace it. The accident situation determines who has to pay for the costs. For example, the employers' liability insurance goes into effect when the accident happens.

    • in a children's institution or on the direct route between home and the institution,
    • in an educational institution (school, university) or on the direct route between the institution and home,
    • at work or on the direct route between work and home

    An accident insurance covers the costs, for example, in accidents in the sports club or if a private accident insurance exists. Alternatively, the health insurance companies bear the treatment costs - but not to the same extent as, for example, the employers' liability insurance.

    If the therapy costs can not be borne by any of these contact persons, it is also possible to reclaim the cause of the accident. In this case, his liability insurance or the person responsible for the accident itself goes into effect.

    Basically, the aim of the treatment as a result of tooth trauma is always the restoration of the dentition in the state before the accident. These costs are usually borne by the respective carriers without any problems. However, they usually do not cover the costs of cosmetic corrections or overdue dental treatments.

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