Patient with trauma

Question 1

What instances of trauma require emergency care?

Answer 1

Head injury, loss of consciousness, significant facial trauma, uncontrollable bleeding or airway obstruction

Inability to open and close jaw, and teeth not meeting

Devolved tongue or large lacerations on tongue

Inhaled tooth fragment or tooth

Avulsed adult tooth = emergency dental care

Question 2

What trauma requires urgent dental care?

Answer 2

Tooth fracture including dentine or pulp.

Adult tooth has been displaced due to trauma

Question 3

What requires non urgent dental care? Or self care ?

Answer 3

Enamel fracture -advise desensitising toothpaste

Displaced primary tooth, needs assessment

Enamel fracture with no tooth displacement, advise analgesia