Oral Trauma Following an Accident

Oral trauma is a significant cause of both morbidity and mortality in the United States. Failure to take care of your teeth makes them more susceptible to severe injuries in a traumatic accident. Some of the statistics on dental trauma and oral injuries published in the Dental Journal have revealed that:

Nearly 5 percent of people worldwide will suffer a dental injury each year.
About 20 percent of teenagers and adults will suffer traumatic injury involving the teeth.
Typically, the maxillary central incisors (the top front teeth) are the ones that are injured in a traumatic accident.
Common causes of dental injuries include contact sports, slip and fall injuries, and motor vehicle accidents.

Dental injuries can lead to uncompromising quality of life problems and can be expensive to repair. Most people don’t have dental insurance, which can only complicate matters. Therefore, it is essential to understand why and how dental injuries occur.

Mechanisms of Dental Injuries

Traumatic accidents can lead to severe dental injuries. The degree and severity of the injuries depend on the speed of the impact, the overall health of the teeth, and the age of the individual. Some of the most common mechanisms of oral trauma include:

Contact Sports: More common in children and teenagers, contact sports place the mouth at significant risk. Collisions between players can cause both tooth and jaw trauma, which is why players are encouraged to wear mouthguards.

Slip and Fall Injuries: Individuals can land face-down on the floor or sidewalk. This carries with it the potential to damage multiple teeth.

Motor Vehicle Collisions: People can strike their face on the steering wheel or dashboard, leading to severe oral injuries. Penetrating injuries of the mouth can also result in oral trauma.

Treatment Options for Oral Trauma

The treatment of dental injuries depends on both the type and the severity of the trauma. Some of the standard procedures include:

Salvaging Lost Teeth: Having teeth knocked out can be scary. A lot of blood loss can be associated with trauma. Lost teeth can be reimplanted by an experienced dentist, but the teeth need to be placed in a salvage solution to preserve them.

Jaw Fractures: Oral trauma can also result in jaw fractures. These serious injuries can lead to respiratory distress, severe pain, and infections. Jaw fractures often need to be repaired by a trained surgeon and have a prolonged recovery process.

These injuries can cause someone to miss significant time from work or school. This can significantly change the quality of life for not only the individual but also his or her family.

Quality of Life Issues Related to Oral Injuries

While everyone thinks about the teeth and the jaw as they relate to eating, numerous other problems could occur as well. Some of these include:

Increased infection risks related to oral health and possible bacterial infiltration.
Difficulty speaking because of teeth or jaw problems.
Possible breathing difficulties related to airway compromise.

These complications can create an incredibly stressful situation for individuals.

Watch YouTube Video: Most Common Dental Injuries. In the following video, Dr. Sean Moriarty discusses the most common dental injuries and how to avoid dental trauma.

Contacting a Personal Injury Attorney

If a loved one has suffered severe dental trauma, many issues could arise. This can make it difficult for families to adjust to a new “normal.” With this in mind, it is critical for individuals and their loved ones to ask for help from an experienced personal injury lawyer in Sacramento. Some of the ways that an experienced injury attorney can provide assistance include:

Helping families make objective decisions during an emotionally challenging time.
Assisting families in reviewing records related to the accident.
Showing families how to pursue damages that could be related to the injuries, any complications, and suffering.
Shifting a case to trial when required.

Sacramento Personal Injury Lawyers

I’m Ed Smith, a Personal Injury Lawyer in Sacramento. Some forms of oral trauma could require surgical repair. If you or a loved one has sustained significant oral trauma and required surgery following a major collision, call me anytime at (800) 404-5400 or (916) 921-6400 for free, friendly legal advice.

I am honored to be a member of the Million Dollar Advocates Forum and of the Top One Percent, a National Association of Distinguished Counsel.

All guests are able to look through our verdicts or settlements.

See our client reviews on Yelp, Avvo, & Google.

Image by Reto Gerber from Pixabay

:dr 0p cha [cs 753]

Oral Trauma Following an Accident