Trauma Flashcards
What are the most likely circumstances (e.g. age, gender, teeth) to experience trauma to primary teeth?
- more common in males
- maxillary primary incisors most commonly affected
- peak incidence between 2-4 years old
What are the most common reasons for traumatic dental injuries in the primary dentition?
- falls
- bumping into objects
- non-accidental
What injuries can occur to the dental hard tissues and pulp?
- enamel fracture
- enamel and dentine fracture
- enamel, dentine and pulp fracture
- crown-root fracture
- root fracture
What injuries can occur to the supporting tissues (periodontium, bone)?
- concussion
- subluxation
- lateral luxation
- intrusion
- extrusion
- avulsion
- alveolar fracture
Which fractures are considered complicated?
- any fracture involving the pulp
- enamel, dentine and pulp fracture
What is a crown-root fracture
- fracture involving enamel, dentine and root
- may or may not have pulpal involvement
- determines whether complicated or uncomplicated
What is concussion?
- PDL injury
- tooth tender to touch
- has not been displaced from line of arch
- normal mobility
- no bleeding into gingival sulcus
What is subluxation
- PDL injury
- tooth tender to touch
- increased mobility
- not displaced from line of arch
- bleeding into gingival sulcus
What is lateral luxation?
- tooth displaced in a palatal/lingual or labial direction
- any direction other than axial
- comminuted or fractured alveolar socket
What is intrusion?
- tooth usually displaced through the labial bone plate
- can impinge on permanent tooth bud
- comminuted or fractured alveolar socket
What is extrusion?
- partial displacement of the tooth out of its socket
What is avulsion?
- tooth is completely displaced out of its socket
- must determine location of tooth
- most commonly lost out of the mouth
- can be ingested or inhaled
- can be embedded in surrounding soft tissues
- must determine location of tooth
What is alveolar fracture?
- fracture involving the alveolar bone
- labial and palatal/lingual
- may extend to adjacent bone
- mobility and dislocation of segment common
- occlusal interference usually present
What is the most common type of injury in the primary dentition?
- luxation injuries
What does a trauma examination involve?
- reassurance
- history
- examination
- diagnosis
- emergency treatment
- important information
- further treatment and review
How can a patient be reassured after a traumatic dental injury?
- distressing for parent and child
- often also first visit to dentist
- not planned
- adds to anxiety
How do you take a trauma history?
- injury
- when did it happen?
- time interval determines prognosis - where did it happen?
- tentanus prophylaxis
- further investigation - how did it happen?
- nature of accident
- indicates type of injury to expect
- discrepancy can indicate abuse - any other symptoms or injuries?
- concussion
- headache
- vomiting
- amnesia
- brain injury must be excluded
- if suspicious refer to hospital - lost teeth/fragments?
- if lost but not accounted for chest radiograph required
- need to determine where
- when did it happen?
- medical history
- congenital heart disease
- history of rheumatic fever or immunosuppression
- bleeding disorders
- haematological team must be contacted - allergies
- short course of antibiotics may be required - tetanus immunisation status
- no vaccine or booster required
- dental history
- previous trauma
- can explain baseline clinical and radiographic findings
- repeated injury can indicate neglect or abuse - treatment experience
- ability to cope in past - legal guardian and child attitude
- how easy is it attending for the family?
- previous trauma
What does an extra oral examination for dental trauma involve?
- swellings
- bruising
- lacerations
- may require debridement and suturing
- haematoma
- haemorrhage
- subconjunctival haemorrhage
- bony step deformities
- mouth opening
- limited mandibular movement/mandibular deviation
- can indicate jaw fracture or dislocation
What does an intra oral examination for dental trauma involve?
- soft tissue
- lacerations
- haematomas
- penetrating wounds
- suspicion of foreign bodies
- alveolar bone
- evidence of fracture
- occlusion
- teeth well interdigitated
- does bite feel normal to patient?
- teeth
- charted
- injuries recorded
- mobile
- tooth displacement
- root or bone fracture - transillumination
- fracture lines (crazing)
- pulpal degeneration (particularly palatally)
- caries identification - tactile test with probe
- detect horizontal and vertical fractures
- detect pulpal involvement - percussion
- dull sound in case of root fracture - occlusion
- if traumatic requires urgent treatment - sensibility tests
- thermal (ethyl chloride, warm gutta-percha)
- electrical (electric pulp tester)
What is a trauma stamp?
- measure of all of the factors requiring monitoring
- mobility
- colour
- TTP
- sensibility tests
- presence of a sinus
- percussion note
- radiograph obtained at visit
What radiographs may be used to assess dental trauma?
- periodical
- anterior occlusal
- lateral pre-maxilla
- extraoral
- panoramic
- soft tissue view
What is often the most appropriate option for emergency treatment in the primary dentition? When is this option not appropriate?
- observation
- not appropriate
- risk of aspiration or ingestion
- occlusal interference
What advice should be given on home care?
- analgesia
- ibuprofen and/or paracetamol
- soft diet
- 10-14 days
- normal diet but cut everything small
- chew with molars
- brush teeth with soft toothbrush
- after every meal
- topical chlorhexidine gluconate 0.12% mouthrinse
- topically twice daily
- one week
- separately to toothbrushing
- applied with gauze or cotton bud
- advise on signs of infection
How are enamel fractures managed?
- smooth sharp edges
- soflex disc
- bond fragment to tooth