eMedicine Specialties > Emergency Medicine > Ear, Nose, & Throat
Dental, Fractured Tooth: Follow-up
Updated: Aug 11, 2009
Follow-up
Further Outpatient Care
- Document arrangements for patients with repaired dental fractures to follow up with a dentist.
- Advise patients with Ellis II and III fractures to avoid eating solid foods to prevent loss of the adhesive dressing and to follow up with a dentist within 24 hours.
Complications
- Tooth loss
- Cosmetic deformity
- Infection
Patient Education
- For excellent patient education resources, visit eMedicine's Teeth and Mouth Center. Also, see eMedicine's patient education articles Broken or Knocked-out Teeth and When to Visit the Dentist.
Miscellaneous
Medicolegal Pitfalls
- Failure to provide tetanus prophylaxis
- Failure to rule out aspiration of tooth chips if unable to recover the tooth in the field
- Failure to properly examine surrounding traumatized tissue for tooth chips
- Failure to recognize domestic and/or child abuse
- Failure to evaluate fully the temporomandibular joint, maxilla, mandible, and occlusion
- Failure to evaluate associated head and neck injuries
- Failure to recognize possible airway compromise
- Failure to warn patient that any trauma to teeth can disrupt the neurovascular supply and lead to long-term pulp necrosis or root resorption
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Follow-up: Dental, Fractured Tooth |
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References
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Wilson W, Taubert KA, Gewitz M, et al. Prevention of infective endocarditis: guidelines from the American Heart Association: a guideline from the American Heart Association Rheumatic Fever, Endocarditis, and Kawasaki Disease Committee, Council on Cardiovascular Disease in the Young, and the Council on Clinical Cardiology, Council on Cardiovascular Surgery and Anesthesia, and the Quality of Care and Outcomes Research Interdisciplinary Working Group. Circulation. Oct 9 2007;116(15):1736-54. [Medline].
Bakland LK, Andreasen JO. Examination of the dentally traumatized patient. J Calif Dent Assoc. Feb 1996;24(2):35-7, 40-4. [Medline].
Cvek M, Mejare I, Andreasen JO. Conservative endodontic treatment of teeth fractured in the middle or apical part of the root. Dent Traumatol. Oct 2004;20(5):261-9. [Medline].
Devlin DH. A historical review of dental and facial skeletal trauma. J Calif Dent Assoc. Feb 1996;24(2):29-34. [Medline].
Gutmann JL, Gutmann MS. Cause, incidence, and prevention of trauma to teeth. Dent Clin North Am. Jan 1995;39(1):1-13. [Medline].
Harwood-Nuss A, Linden C, Luten R, eds. Dental injuries. In: The Clinical Practice of Emergency Medicine. 2nd ed. Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; 1996:418-421.
Josell SD. Evaluation, diagnosis, and treatment of the traumatized patient. Dent Clin North Am. Jan 1995;39(1):15-24. [Medline].
Josell SD, Abrams RG. Traumatic injuries to the dentition and its supporting structures. Pediatr Clin North Am. Jun 1982;29(3):717-41. [Medline].
Krasner P, Rankow HJ. New philosophy for the treatment of avulsed teeth. Oral Surg Oral Med Oral Pathol Oral Radiol Endod. May 1995;79(5):616-23. [Medline].
Rosen P, Barkin R. Dental emergencies. In: Emergency Medicine Concepts and Clinical Practice. Vol 3. 3rd ed. St Louis: Mosby-Year Book; 1992: 2381-2398.
Trope M. Protocol for treating the avulsed tooth. J Calif Dent Assoc. Mar 1996;24(3):43-9. [Medline].
Further Reading
Keywords
tooth fracture, broken tooth, traumatized maxillary teeth, postnormal occlusion, overjet, short upper lip, incompetent lip, mouth breathing, maxillofacial injuries, maxillofacial fractures, Ellis classification, Ellis I fractures, Ellis II fractures, Ellis III fractures, chipped tooth, chipped teeth, root fractures, dentoalveolar fractures, malocclusion, dental displacement, maxillary fractures, mandibular fractures, Panorex, zinc oxide, calcium hydroxide paste, Dycal, bone wax, Ethicon, gutta-percha filling, partial pulpotomy, tetanus prophylaxis
Follow-up: Dental, Fractured Tooth