The treatment of traumatic dental injuries

Abstract

When treating dental trauma, the timeliness of care is key to saving the tooth in many cases. It is, therefore, important for all dentists to have an understanding of how to diagnose and treat the most common dental injuries. This is especially critical in the emergency phase of treatment.

Proper management of dental trauma is most often a team effort with general dentists, pediatric dentists or oral surgeons on the front line of the emergency service, and endodontic specialists joining the effort to preserve the tooth with respect to the pulp, pulpal space and root. An informed and coordinated effort from all team members ensures that the patient receives the most efficient and effective care.

Property of DTMEA

About the Author

Dr Asgeir Sigurdsson,DDS,MS

He was a full-time faculty member at UNC School of Dentistry from 1992 until 2004, first as an assistant professor and then associate professor with tenure beginning in 2000. He was appointed as the graduate program director of endodontics (specialty training) in 1997 and served in that position until 2004. From 2004 to 2012 he was in a private endodontic practice in Reykjavik, Iceland, and London, England.He is active in many professional organizations and is past president of the International Association for Dental Traumatology (IADT). He received the Edward M. Osetek Educator Award from the American Association of Endodontists in 1998.