Acute Management of Dental Trauma Flashcards
What does TDI stand for
Traumatic dental injury
What is a key question we need to ask when I patient comes in with a TDI
Ask about head injury
When should we send a child to the emergency ward
If they suffer from reduced consciousness or blacks out at the time of the accident
When should a head CT be taken following a TDI
- Suspicion of non accidental injury
- Post traumatic seizure with no history of epilepsy
- Any suspected open of depressed skull fractures
- Any sign of basal skull fractures
- Focal or neurological deficits such as change in vision
Give soem signs of basal skull fractures
- CSF leakage from ear or nose
2. Battle signs (bruising around the orbit)
What approach should we use when examining teeth following TDI
Use proformas (tables)
What do Proformas allow you to do
- Record dental information systemically
2. Allow for comparisons chronologically and between different teeth
Talk through how you’d carry out your examination following a TDI
Start outside to inside
- Check general appearance
- Maxilla and mandible
- Skull general
- Intra oral
What do we look for when taking an intra oral exam
- Systematic soft tissues
- Hard tissues
- Check anterior teeth canine to canine
- Occlusion
Give examples of special test we can take to aid diagnosis
- Mobility
- TTP
- Transillumnation
- Ethyl chloride
- Electric Pulp Test
- Radiographic report
What does treatment in the acute phase depend on
- Age of child
- Type of injury
- Concomitant injuries (most severe first)
Name common TDIs seen in practice
- Avulsion
- Luxation injuries
- Extrusion
- Intrusion
- Lateral luxation
- Displaced root fractures
- Complicated crown fractures
Which of the TDIs is known as the one true dental emergency
Avulsion
In which age group is an avulsion injury most common in
7-10 year olds
Avulsion accounts for what percentage of all dentoalveolar trauma
0.5-16%
Why is avulsion known as the one true dental emergency
As the acute management directly affects the prognosis of the tooth
What advice have we given the lay person if they see a child undergo an avulsion injury
Pick it
Lick it
Stick it
What is an avulsion injury
When a tooth is knocked out
When should we NOT replant a tooth that has been knocked out
- Primary teeth
- Other injuries requiring emergency care
- Patients with impaired immunity
- Patients at risk of infective endocarditis
- Very immature permanent incisors
How do we treat avulsion
- LA
- Suction socket gently
- Gently rinse with saline
- Reimplant holding the crown
- Gentle pressure
- Splint wire / composite
- Radiograph to confirm position
- Antibiotics and keep splint for 2 weeks