Dentoalveolar Trauma in the Permanent Dentition

Dentoalveolar trauma remains prevalent within the population and can present at any age with a wide range of injuries and complications. The majority of traumatic dental injuries are accidental, occur outside the usual hours of practice and require immediate emergency management. Whilst more complex traumatic dental injuries may require specialist referral, the majority of cases can be managed by general dental practitioners, and this chapter is designed to support practitioners through various stages of assessment, management and follow-up. As dentoalveolar trauma can present spontaneously, it is imperative that a systematic approach to assessment is followed to ensure accurate diagnosis and management that will give the best possible prognosis for patients. This chapter addresses history taking, clinical assessment and special investigations that are common to all types of traumatic injuries. The reader should be able to identify complex presentations that may require onward referral for paediatric or maxillofacial assessment. The management section discusses general considerations for trauma including protecting the dentine-pulp complex, vital pulp therapy and repositioning teeth, before providing individual tables for each type of injury, which may serve as a useful reference should trauma present unannounced.