• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to footer
Hopkinton Logo

Hopkinton Endodontics - Judy McIntyre, DMD, MS

Endodontics Hopkinton MA

  • Meet Dr. McIntyre
  • Office Tour
  • Reviews
508-686-7668
  • Home
  • About
    • Meet Dr. McIntyre
    • Meet the Team
    • Office Tour
    • COVID-19 Updates
  • Procedures
    • Root Canal Therapy
    • Endodontic Retreatment
    • Endodontic Surgery
    • Cracked Teeth
    • Traumatic Dental Injuries
    • For the Anxious Patients
  • Patient Information
    • New Patient Forms
    • Why Choose an “Endodontist”?
    • Fees & Financial Policy
    • Dental Insurance
    • Instructions
      • First Visit
      • Before Endodontic Treatment
      • During Treatment
      • After Completion of Endodontic Treatment
      • Home Care Instructions
    • About Your Tooth
    • Technology
  • FAQ
  • Referring Doctors
    • Refer Your Patient
    • Colleagues for Excellence Newsletter
    • Endodontic Case Assessment
    • Treatment Planning Options
    • Regenerative Procedures
    • Links of Interest
  • Blog
  • Contact

Traumatic Dental Injuries

Chipped, Bumped & Dislodged Teeth

Unfortunately, accidents happen to both children and adults. In these cases, dental injuries can be minimal and inconsequential, or they can be severe requiring treatment.

Some dental injuries can cause the gums to bleed, also known as a concussion; this is the least significant dental injury. Most often, treatment is not required but the tooth should be monitored. However, other dental injuries can cause the tooth to chip or break. Sometimes a break can involve the nerve as well. These dental injuries should have a consultation with a dental professional. Sometimes the tooth can be glued back together and other times, a root canal might be necessary.

Teeth can also be pushed sideways, downwards or upwards – back into their sockets; these are known as luxation injuries. Your endodontist or general dentist may reposition and stabilize your tooth. Root canal treatment is usually started within a few weeks of a dental injury and a special antibacterial medication, such as calcium hydroxide, will be placed inside the tooth. Eventually, a permanent root canal filling will be placed.

dislodged-tooth-155x300-1

Sometimes a tooth may be pushed partially out of the socket (also known as extrusion). In this case, your endodontist or general dentist may reposition and stabilize your tooth. If the pulp (aka the nerve) remains healthy, then no other treatment is necessary. Sometimes, if the pulp becomes damaged or infected, then root canal treatment will be required.

If a dental injury does not receive proper treatment, different complications can arise. These complications may include infection of the tooth, root system or surrounding tissue, inadequate hygiene due to an inability to properly clean the dislodged tooth and the gums, and loss of the tooth.

Avulsed Teeth

If an injury causes a tooth to be completely knocked out of your mouth, it is important that you are treated immediately by a dental professional! If this happens to you, keep the tooth moist. If possible, put it back into the socket. A tooth can be saved if it remains moist. We highly recommend that you put the tooth in cold milk, if possible. A Ziploc bag of saliva would be the next best alternative to cold milk.

Knocked-Out-Teeth

Your Endodontist may start root canal treatment based upon several factors: the stage of root development, the length of time the tooth was out of your mouth and the way the tooth was stored; all of these may influence the type of treatment you receive, as well as the long-term prognosis of the tooth.

Injuries in children

Because oftentimes a child’s tooth might not be fully developed (with root closure), an injured child’s tooth may need one of the following procedures to improve the chances of saving the tooth:

Apexogenesis

This procedure encourages the root to continue development to become stronger as the pulp heals. The undamaged nerve/pulp tissue is covered with medication to encourage root growth. The tip of the root (apex) will continue to close as the child gets older. In turn, the walls of the root canal will thicken. If the pulp heals, no additional treatment will be necessary. The more mature the root becomes, the better the chance of saving the tooth.

Traumatic-Dental-Injuries-249x300-1

Apexification

In this case, the unhealthy pulp must be removed. The doctor places medication into the root’s end to help a hard tissue form near the root tip. This hardened tissue provides a barrier for the root canal filling. At this point, the root canal walls will not continue to develop, and although the tooth remains susceptible to fractures, most often, the tooth can be saved and can function normally.

chipped-teeth-children

In both cases, it is important to have the tooth properly restored by your dentist.

Footer

Hopkinton Endodontics

Judy McIntyre, DMD, MS
225 Wood Street #1
Hopkinton, MA 01748
508-686-7668

Hours

  • M: 8am — 4pm
  • Tu: 8am — 5pm
  • W: by appointment
  • Th: 8am — 5pm
  • F: 8am — 3pm
  • Sat: by appointment
  • Sun: closed

Instagram

drjudyendo

🤔 Ever have those patients that you see as for 🤔
Ever have those patients that you see as for emergency treatment and then they disappear?
🤷‍♀️
Thankfully, it's rare, and our in-office systems prevent this as much as possible, so we continued to reach out to this #patient who had been feeling "much better" after their emergency appointment but consistently cancelled or rescheduled their completion #rootcanal appt
📞 ☎️ 
In January, pt reported their #tooth hurt to hot/cold and ached, and biting gave radiating pain over the weekend. Further, when they laid down, the pressure would wake them up (we hear this OFTEN - classic #endodontic symptom)
🤕😵
Thankfully, the pt finally responded and returned. 
🙏
This was a pretty calcified tooth, and am pleased with the result.  
🙌
When the pt was dismissed they were a bit incredulous as to how easy the 2nd visit was. They were ecstatic!!!
However,  this is often how #endodontic treatment goes!!!!!
🤗
A "toothache" can act like a bruise, so when you touch an existing bruise, it hurts!!!!  Same thing with #teeth
🦷
It truly is best to be proactive (rather than reactive) with toothaches and tooth discomfort. 
📢
The longer one waits with discomfort, the harder it can be to 1) achieve profound anesthesia and 2) negotiate any complications that may arise and 3) when a tooth progresses to being necrotic, the prognosis of a #rootcanal slightly decreases!  
🥼
So, don't wait, #rootcanaltreatment is SO MUCH EASIER and is most often #painfree  
😷
Medicated and temporized in January and completed with BC liner and BC sealer and used @kavokerr #zenflex files
🥳
#weareendodontists
#saveteeth
#sytm2021
#i❤savingteeth
#healthyteethdonthurt 
🐇🐰
It's Wednesday and I'm inspired by @endogenie s po It's Wednesday and I'm inspired by @endogenie s post yesterday of #fingerfatigue as this case definitely tired out my 👋
But this post is also about cracks⚡ 
😬
A year later into this pandemic, everyone's stressed out!
🙋‍♀️🙋‍♂️
And teeth are suffering!!!!
🥴
😔
#patient referred by spouse [and RD too 😜] - that's love!
💕
HOT tooth and pt was in a lot of pain
🔥 🤕
But, quickly I could visualize a crack
😵
Transillumination confirmed the crack
😣
We discussed options and poor prognosis extensively but the pt 1) wanted pain relief and 2) wanted desperately to save the #tooth
🙏
#pulpvitalitytests results: 
Dx: LR6 Ir/reversible pulpitis with symptomatic apical periodontitis; recurrent decay 
Dx: LR7 Necrotic pulp with symptomatic apical periodontitis; recurrent decay/calcification HOT!!!!!!!!!!!! - most symptomatic over #30 (pt agreed) 
😷
In these cases, I work on the most symptomatic one first as referred pain is likely and I always wish to rule that out
🤗
Found: 3 canals; D crack extended into D orifice - pt informed again
🙏
We still decided to proceed and hope for the best
🤞
Closed with @brasselerusa BC Blue liner and bioceramic putty in the D canal, CPs and @coltene_us #duotemp 
💙 
Prognosis: Poor d/t distal crack, preop symptoms, necrosis and lack of tooth structure remaining - informed pt may not last 5 years
Pt still wanted to continue and proceed and knows ext next if symptoms return 
🙏🤞
#letthehealingbegin 
#truelove #iykyk
#saveteeth 
#endodontics 
#endodontist 
#rootcanaltreatment
🥳🥳
Double #mb2sday and on the same patient
🙌🙌
Everyone loves a good recall - 1.5 years later 
💕
Dx was UR6 necrotic with symptomatic apical periodontitis and was medicated; UR6 RCT completed in 2019
😷
#patient returned today with pain in their ULQ
😳
Crown was placed many years ago.
👑 
Scan taken & UL6 scheduled next week for #endodontics
☢
Dx: UL6 Necrotic with symptomatic apical periodontitis
🤕
Check out those long roots!!!  The mucositis!!!  And, the bony exostosis on the palate/tuberosity area DP to UL7
🌮🌮
#saveteeth
#endoworks
#rootcanaltreatment 
#healthyteethdonthurt 
#painfreedentistry 
#cbct 
#3dimaging 
@kavokerr
Load More... Follow on Instagram
Copyright © 2021 Hopkinton Endodontics. All rights reserved. HIPAA Notice Return to top