Basically, an extrusion is a loose tooth … which, perhaps in a worst case scenario could be several loose teeth … where teeth are no longer secured in their sockets.
It also can be called an extrusive luxation. If the tooth is pushed into the socket, it is called intrusive, rather than extrusive.
Think of it this way. An extrusion is a tooth which is wiggling when it shouldn’t wiggle. We’re not speaking of baby teeth which are meant to become loose and replaced by one’s permanent teeth.
The result of an extrusion is a dental emergency … where one needs to quickly come to the office for appropriate evaluation and remediation.
Depending on the severity of the damage, we have several options to repair the extrusion from a flexible sprint, bonding material or root canal treatment for a complete removal of the problematic tooth. In certain cases we may recommend attaching ortho wires.
How can a dental extrusion happen?
It’s about taking a blow to the face which can break teeth or knock your teeth loose.
An extrusion can occur from something as normal as a sports injury … to some sort of accident … to an altercation between two or more people.
An extruded tooth can definitely be painful when eating as the dislodged tooth can be pushed against the socket and jawbone, and there is loose and often inflamed connective tissue and periodontal ligaments which are damaged as well.
Left untreated, one can lose the tooth and the mouth and gums can become infected which requires a great deal more care, visits to our office, and costs.
Children are particularly susceptible to extrusions as they have a tendency to be slightly aggressive, playful and careless.
We encourage those who have suffered an extrusion to call us right away … day, night or weekend. If you are in the hospital, with other injuries, please give your care provider our number.
Until your appointment, treat any pain with OTC pain relief, place a cold, wet cloth over the mouth, and eat soft foods. If there is excessive bleeding which you are unable to control with a soft bite on gauze, one should be taken to an emergency care facility, a hospital emergency room and, in extreme cases, call 911.
Prompt care can help you avoid a lot of headaches, toothaches, and heartaches down the line, including the potential for serious health issues and exorbitant costs.
We have two convenient locations to provide the dental needs for you and your family. In Oxnard, call (805) 983-0717. For Spanish Hills Dentistry in Camarillo, call (805) 987-1711.
RICH SPRAGUE
Rich is our Marketing Services Manager. He’s responsible for our business rebrand, including the design of our new logo, the production of our marketing materials, and the development of our new website. He is extremely passionate towards the complete marketing and sales process. In addition to his Master’s Degree in Web Design & New Media, he has a Bachelor’s Degree in Communications and has been writing articles since high school. Rich's email is rich@richsprague.com.