What To Do If Your Dental Implant Is Partially Knocked Out In A Car Accident
Dental implants are some of the best kinds of tooth replacements, and the strongest. However, even a dental implant can't withstand the damage that a car accident can deal. In addition to broken bones and tissue injuries, if you hit your face or chin in a car accident, it's possible for a dental implant to be knocked out. If this happened to you and yours is still partially attached, here's what you should do.
Don't Try to Fix It
First of all, never try to put a dental implant back in the hole it came from or try to remove it. You probably couldn't remove it if it's still partially attached, but you could hurt yourself further and cause bleeding. Putting it back in isn't any better - while this is a good idea with real teeth, as it can help to preserve the tooth, dental implants can become damaged if they're dislodged this way and could potentially hurt you if you try to put it back in.
Rather than trying to solve the problem yourself, leave the dental implant alone and avoid chewing with it.
Get to an Emergency Dentist
Reach out to an emergency dentist, immediately, for help. Emergency dentists keep extended hours and can assist you when your regular dentist is either too busy or closed for the day. They're also excellent at repairing damage due to trauma, so you'll be in good hands with an emergency dentist.
Getting help right away will ensure that you don't experience further pain and discomfort, as well as reducing the risk of developing an infection in your gums.
What to Expect
Your emergency dentist will assess the damage and determine what action to take. In almost all cases, they'll fully remove the dental implant. This may require an anesthetic if it's still deeply embedded in your gums or if it penetrated through tissue during the car accident.
Once removed, your dentist will ensure that any debris from the car accident or from a broken dental implant is removed and your gums are safe. You may receive stitches if you have significant bleeding in the gums.
Your dentist likely won't put your implant back in. This is to ensure that the dentist who gave it to you originally can determine - with their medical records - whether or not it's still safe for use, or if it should be replaced. However, while the implant is out, you can return to eating and drinking normally.
Dental implants are built to last, but a lot of things can be weakened or broken during a car accident. If your implant is partially sticking out, get help from an emergency dentistry specialist right away.