Each of the teeth in your mouth are anchored into their sockets by strong periodontal ligaments. These ligaments are meant to hold each tooth in place for daily activities like biting off, chewing and grinding foods. There are other times when something like a hard fall or a blow to the face hits with such force that it can knock one or more of your teeth out.
Most of the time when a tooth is knocked out, it is also severely fractured and some of it remains in the socket. When this happens the tooth is effectively dead. Dr. [doctor_name]’s only course of treatment is to extract the remnants and allow the gums to heal. He can then help you understand your options for replacing the tooth.
One of the most common methods is to simply install a bridge. This is essentially an artificial tooth fused to a pair of crowns on each end. It is anchored on abutments formed from the neighboring teeth. To create these abutments, Dr. [doctor_name] uses a drill to remove most of the enamel from each tooth. This leaves behind a post-like core of dentin surrounding the healthy pulp and root of each tooth.
Then, [heshe] will form an impression of the abutments as well as the void and your personal bite pattern. This will be sent to a dental lab where your new bridge is made. At the end of the appointment temporary crowns are cemented over each abutment to protect them.
When your permanent bridge is ready Dr. [doctor_name] will call you back in for a brief follow up appointment. The temporary crowns will be removed and [heshe] will cement your new bridge onto the abutments.
If you’ve just had a tooth knocked out, you should not delay in calling Dr. [doctor_name]’s [city], [state] office at [phone] for immediate treatment.
