When thinking about or listing the injuries you have sustained in a road accident, mouth- and dental-related injuries might not be the first thing that comes to mind. Instead, you will think of the injuries usually associated with auto accidents, like fractured bones, concussions, and lacerations. However, the distress and pain resulting from dental and mouth injuries can be just as considerable.

If you think you have sustained a mouth or dental injury from an auto accident, go for a medical exam and treatment as quickly as possible. You might be entitled to recover compensation from the liable party whose reckless or careless actions caused the crash.

Types of Dental Personal Injuries

Dental injuries involve damage to someone’s teeth and structures supporting them. They can be exceptionally debilitating and painful, regardless of their being generally non-life-threatening. Dental injuries may need extensive medical treatment and a recovery period, too. Medication, tooth reconstruction or replacement, or dental surgery can be expensive and take longer for a person to recover from completely.

Dental injuries generally entail some kind of face and head trauma. A victim who sustains severe dental injuries also sustains back, neck, or head injuries. For example, spine injuries, whiplash, and concussion are prevalent in individuals who sustain severe dental injuries. Prevalent dental injuries suffered in personal injury accidents include the following:

Fractured Teeth

Auto crashes and other traffic collisions can cause tooth fractures. Fractured teeth might seem minor, but some fractures are severe and require treatment. Based on the seriousness, a fracture might scar the external part of the tooth or extend to the point where it affects the nerves lying within the roots. Fractured teeth could result in sensitivity, difficulty eating, and pain. There are three primary types of tooth fractures:

  • Ellis I injuries. These are crown-related fractures that just extend through the enamel. The impacted teeth might have rough edges, though they will not discolor or become tender.
  • Ellis II injuries. This is where the lower dentin layer and the tooth enamel are fractured. These injuries make the teeth tender to the touch and after exposure to air. There is also a yellow dentin layer that might be visible to the doctor examining you.
  • Ellis III injuries. These are fractures that involve the tooth enamel, pulp, and dentin. These injuries cause similar sensitivity problems as Ellis II injuries. However, with Ellis III injuries, a noticeable pink, red, or blood region is also evident in the middle of the tooth.

Tooth Luxation

This injury occurs when the ligaments and tissues securing a tooth become torn or stretched. When this happens, the tooth loosens or becomes dislocated but does not fall off. The loose tooth might move forward and backward or from side to side in its socket, which could be dangerous and painful.

Early treatment can reset the tooth into position, possibly saving it. Often, pushing the luxated tooth back to its place is the treatment for luxated teeth. If salvaging the tooth is impossible, the dentist may have to extract and replace it with a prosthetic one. Also, even if you successfully push the tooth to its position on your own, seeing a medical professional is still recommended to ascertain that the injury is limited only to the luxation.

Dental Avulsion

Dental avulsion is when your whole tooth, including the root and the crown, is knocked out from its socket. Finding the tooth at the accident scene can be challenging if you suffer dental avulsion. However, do not touch the tooth root (the part in your gums) if you find the tooth. You should pick the tooth up by its crown and place it in a container containing whole milk or your saliva.

You can save a knocked-out tooth if you quickly act and retrieve it. However, remember you will have a brief period to reinsert the tooth into its socket before it dies. Therefore, ensure you seek medical care immediately. If saving the knocked-out tooth is impossible, replacing it with a prosthetic one is sometimes necessary.

Cracked or Chipped Teeth

Cracks and chips may appear on the enamel’s surface or be deeper. The deeper cracks may impact the gums and nerves. Like other kinds of dental injuries, it is crucial to obtain appropriate dental care as soon as possible. This will increase the odds of reducing the long-lasting damage and maximizing compensation.

Root Fractures

A fracture to the tooth root occurs when the root tip is damaged. If the fracture is too close to the gum line, there are limited chances of recovery. In this case, the medical professional will use a stabilization splint to assist the root in recovering with as minimal damage as possible.

Dental-related injuries can be indirect or direct. The kind of injury sustained will be based on the extent of force encountered during the accident. Direct injuries refer to those that occur when an object strikes the head and mouth. Indirect injuries arise when the open mouth closes, causing damage to itself. Both direct and indirect injuries can be excruciating.

It is essential to note that dental injuries are not limited only to your original teeth. Dentures, veneers, and implants can also be damaged in an accident.

Dental Injury Symptoms to Look Out For

If you have suffered an accident, ensure your safety and call 911 as quickly as possible. The medical personnel who respond to the scene should assist in treating your injuries and discovering any dental trauma requiring treatment. However, even the most committed first medical responders are human and may overlook some signs. Look out for these dental injury symptoms after the crash, since they may indicate a significant problem.

  • Dental pain. For almost all dental injuries, the victim will experience pain. The pain can be in the teeth, jaw, or gums. You may even experience headaches. There are several kinds of dental pain, each with different symptoms and characteristics. Whereas a doctor can advise on what a persistent headache may signify, you want to visit a dental professional if you experience dental or other mouth-related pain.
  • Tooth damage. Tooth damage is a prevalent injury in traffic accidents. Broken, fractured, or chipped teeth could signify a more severe issue. At the very least, you may need costly dental work.
  • Impaired jaw function. Jaw impairment is fairly prevalent after auto accidents, particularly in victims who sustain traumatic head injuries. An especially prevalent type of impairment is TMJ (temporomandibular joint) dysfunction, which can lead to difficulty chewing, a clicking sound, or jaw pain.
  • Lost or loose teeth. In a collision, you may experience missing or loose teeth, particularly if your mouth crashed into a solid object, like the steering wheel or dashboard. You may need a tooth splinting procedure, implants, false teeth, or tooth bridges to rectify these problems.

Vertigo and earache can also be prevalent signs of dental injuries. That is because a jaw-related injury can also impact parts of the inner ear. These injuries can be painful to sustain and intricate to diagnose and treat.

Types of Mouth-Related Personal Injuries

Mouth injuries could occur outside and inside the mouth. There can be several types of mouth injuries because the mouth's internal and external parts can be injured in many ways. Mouth-related injuries could also be severe and necessitate extensive treatment.

 Like dental injuries, the healing process of mouth injuries could be incredibly uncomfortable, painful, and debilitating, even in less severe cases. The most prevalent mouth injuries sustained in personal injury accidents include the following:

Temporomandibular Joint Injury

The TMJ connects the skull to the jaw. Injury to this joint can lead to limited motion and significant pain. There are various kinds of TMJ-related injuries you may face. They include the following:

  • Cartilage damage. This injury occurs when the cartilage in your jaw joint becomes damaged. It could make your jaw swell up, hurt, and be challenging to move.
  • Jawbone fractures or breaks occur during an accident's impact. You may have to undergo surgery to correct them. If not treated properly, they can cause long-lasting issues with your jaw joint. These fractures can also have long-lasting effects on bite alignment and oral health.
  • This happens when the jawbone shifts slightly out of its usual position in the jaw joint, though not wholly. It can lead to weird sounds and discomfort when moving the jaw. You can also have difficulty opening your mouth.
  • These happen when the round jawbone part shifts from its usual spot in the jaw joint. Dislocations can cause severe pain and make it difficult to open your mouth.
  • TMJ dysfunction. This injury occurs when there are issues with your jaw joint and the surrounding muscles. It can arise because the jaw is not lined up correctly, the muscles are tense, or the joint is swollen.
  • Disc displacement. This injury happens when the bone discs in your jaw joint shift out of position, making your jaw lock, pop, or hurt whenever you move it.

Lacerations and cuts

Deep lacerations and cuts may affect the mouth tissues. These injuries are more likely to bleed but might also have debris embedded deep in them. Often, they lead to significant scars in the mouth. Mouth wounds like this do not always heal properly, and infection may arise. Surgical procedures may be necessary to promote better healing. Apart from lacerations inside the mouth, a victim can also suffer lip lacerations in an accident.

1st- and 2nd-Degree Burns

Just like lacerations, burns can occur in the mouth, resulting in throat and oral tissue problems. Usually, burns result in scars that can be challenging to recover from when they are severe. Infection is also a big cause for concern.

Soft Tissue Injuries

Soft tissue injuries include tears, lacerations, or cuts to the gums, tongue, or lip tissues. Soft tissue injuries could lead to discomfort and possible infection if not properly treated. When you suspect you have suffered soft-tissue injuries in an accident, you want to follow these immediate steps and then visit a doctor as quickly as possible:

  • If possible, wash the area using soap and water and rinse it, or
  • Remove foreign material and debris by hand.

You can often control bleeding by applying gentle pressure to the gauze pads on the wound. If you cannot control the bleeding after approximately ten minutes, visit an ER. Do not hesitate to call a doctor for more specific information regarding handling soft-tissue mouth injuries.

Mouth Injury Symptoms to Look Out For

If you have suffered an auto crash and suspect you suffered a mouth injury, it is essential to watch out for these prevalent symptoms:

  • Tenderness or pain in the jaw or mouth
  • Bleeding from the mouth
  • Inability to chew or bite properly
  • Bruising or swelling of the gums, tongue, or lips

These symptoms might vary based on the severity of the mouth injury. Seeking urgent medical care if you have any of them after an auto collision is essential. Immediate treatment can stop further complications and enhance faster healing.

Factors Contributing to Dental and Mouth-Related Personal Injuries

A person may suffer dental and mouth injuries in many ways. Motorcyclists and cyclists are highly likely to sustain these injuries due to insufficient protection. However, a motorist or occupant of another auto can also sustain a dental or mouth injury. Hazards in an auto that can result in a person sustaining a dental or mouth injury include:

  • Steering wheel
  • Seats
  • Dashboard
  • Broken glass
  • Cargo in the vehicle

When an auto crashes into another or strikes a stationary item, the collision’s force makes its occupants tossed around and come in contact with any of the abovementioned surfaces. Tooth luxation, for example, can result when a driver hits their head on the steering wheel.

You may also sustain a dental or mouth injury in an auto accident without coming in contact with any of the above-mentioned interior surfaces. Airbags (devices manufacturers install in vehicles to safeguard occupants from injuries in an accident) might cause mouth or dental injuries when they inflate in an accident. The impact, which is strong enough to cause bone fractures in the face and nose, can loosen or crack teeth and cause other types of dental and mouth injuries, too.

Contact a Skilled Personal Injury Attorney Near Me

Have you sustained a mouth or dental injury after involvement in a personal injury accident? If you have, you may be entitled to recover damages. At Jacksonville Personal Injury Attorney, our skilled personal injury lawyers understand how debilitating and painful mouth and dental injuries can be. We will be delighted to schedule a consultation and discuss the details of your case and your legal options for pursuing compensation. Call us today at 904-800-7557 to start your journey towards obtaining the justice you deserve.