When you have been involved in a Phoenix, Arizona, auto accident, you are likely to have various different injuries. Some are much more severe than others. Depending on the severity of your injuries, your dental injuries may not be your first concern. Because dental injuries are not life threatening and will not lead to long term disability, they are often not considered to be urgent enough to take precedence over other injuries that you are likely to have. This means that you may have to wait to seek treatment for these injuries as other, more serious injuries, are being addressed.

Do I Need to Get Dental Treatment After an Auto Accident in Phoenix, Arizona?

After a serious Phoenix, Arizona, auto accident, you can expect to be taken directly to the hospital to address your injuries. You may need surgical treatment, casts for broken bones, a hospital stay for treatment and observation, and more. You might even need physical therapy to recover. In many cases, auto accident victims are encumbered by medical devices, casts, wheelchairs, and other issues that will prevent them from being able to sit in a dentist’s chair for treatment. Then, as you recover from the trauma of the injuries, the last thing on your mind is likely to be your dental needs. You may not even consider this when you seek compensation for your injuries, not realizing that you are in desperate need of a dentist’s care and not realizing that you can get compensation for this treatment. Whatever else is going on, it is essential to get the dental treatment that you require as soon as possible after the accident. If you do not have other serious injuries, then you may need to see the dentist for emergency dental care the same day as the accident or very soon after, depending on the damage.

Common Types of of Dental Injuries After a Phoenix, Arizona, Auto Accident

Dental injuries in a Phoenix, Arizona, auto accident can be direct dental injuries or indirect dental injuries. The differences are as follows:

• Direct dental injuries occur when your teeth are damaged by an impact by or with another object. If your face hits the dashboard or the steering wheel, if debris strikes your face, or if your knees or another body part strike your face, you may have a direct dental injury.
• Indirect dental injuries occur when the force of the collision causes your mouth to slam shut with enough force to cause damage to your teeth.

In either situation, you may end up with the most common dental injuries, which include an avulsed tooth injury, a tooth luxation injury, and a fractured tooth injury.

Phoenix, Arizona, Auto Accidents Involving Avulsed Tooth Injuries

When a Phoenix, Arizona, auto accident involves an avulsed tooth injury, this means that your tooth as been knocked out of its socket entirely. This is most likely to happen as a direct dental injury in which you hit your tooth on something or something else struck your tooth. Yet, it can happen when your mouth slams shut from the force of the collision in an indirect dental injury.

What you may not know is that this is not a lost cause where your tooth must be permanently lost or replaced by an implant. If handled quickly and correctly, an avulsed tooth can be put back in the socket and may heal without permanent damage. To save the tooth, however, it must first be located, handled carefully by the crown, and placed in a saline solution or in milk. Then, you have to get to the dentist in no more than two hours from the moment of the injury.

Unfortunately, this may not be possible after a Phoenix, Arizona, auto accident. You may not be able to find the tooth in the debris. You may be rushed to the hospital to address more serious injuries. Your tooth may not be in any condition to be saved. There may be other damage to your mouth that prevents the dentist from being able to save the tooth.

If possible, find your tooth and get to the dentist quickly, handling the tooth with care. If this is not possible, or if the tooth cannot be saved, then you may need an implant. If you have lost multiple teeth, then you may end up needing a bridge to replace them. All of this is going to be very expensive, but you can recover compensation through a Phoenix, Arizona, auto accident claim.

Phoenix, Arizona, Auto Accidents Involving Tooth Luxation Injuries

When you get into a Phoenix, Arizona, auto accident in which a tooth is knocked loose, but not all the way out, then this is called a tooth luxation injury. This is very common in indirect dental injuries where the mouth slams shut and is also common in direct dental injuries where an impact loosens the tooth. These injuries can also be treated fairly quickly and easily. In fact, you might even be able to push the tooth back where it goes on your own, though you should still get to the dentist as soon as you can to inspect the tooth for any other damage that may be present. Otherwise, you may end up losing the damaged tooth eventually either way because of the other damage.

Phoenix, Arizona, Auto Accidents Involving Tooth Luxation Injuries Fractured Tooth Injuries

A fractured tooth injury is one in which the tooth is actually cracked or broken, and this is an acute dental trauma injury. If it is very severe, it may be very difficult to treat. Fractured tooth injuries are categorized based on severity. Ellis I is the least severe, Ellis II is next, and Ellis III is the most severe. You will need to see a dentist as soon as possible to prevent the damage from getting worse and to repair it as much as possible as quickly as you can.

Consult with an Arizona Lawyer About Your Dental Injuries After an Auto Accident

While dental injuries are often very expensive to treat, you can recover compensation through a Phoenix, Arizona, auto accident claim. Call the attorneys at Warnock MacKinlay Law to learn more about your rights and options.