Dentistry focuses on diagnosing, preventing, and treating conditions of the teeth, gums, and oral structures, supporting oral health and overall well-being.
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Keeping your mouth very clean is especially important after a dental injury. Blood clots, splints, and wounds can make it easier for bacteria to grow, but the injured areas are sensitive and can be hurt by rough brushing. At Liv Hospital, we give trauma patients a special cleaning plan. The aim is to lower bacteria, prevent infection, and help the gums and ligaments heal, without disturbing the healing teeth.
Gentle Debridement
Brushing normally can be too painful and risky right after an injury, so special techniques are needed.
Soft toothbrush: Use a very soft, surgical-grade toothbrush. The bristles should be gentle enough to clean without hurting the healing gums.
Avoid the injury site: For the first few days, don’t brush the injured teeth directly. Clean the nearby teeth and use mouthwash or other agents for the hurt area.
Roll technique: As you heal, use a rolling motion with the brush from the gum toward the biting edge, instead of scrubbing, to avoid moving the splint or tooth.
Toothpaste selection: Choose a mild, non-foaming toothpaste to avoid irritating any open wounds in your mouth.
When mechanical cleaning is limited by pain or splints, chemical agents become the primary defense against plaque.
Chlorhexidine gluconate: A 0.12% chlorhexidine mouthrinse is the gold standard. It has substantivity, meaning it binds to the tissues and releases slowly, providing antibacterial protection for hours.
Application method: Patients should rinse gently twice a day. Vigorous swishing creates hydraulic forces that can disrupt the blood clot in the socket or the re-attachment of the PDL.
Cotton swab application: For localized cleaning around a splint or sutures, a cotton swab dipped in chlorhexidine can be used to wipe the area gently.
Staining management: Chlorhexidine can cause teeth to stain brown over time. This is a reversible cosmetic issue and is secondary to the primary goal of preventing infection.
Protecting the Repair
Diet plays a crucial role in preventing mechanical stress on the injured teeth.
Soft diet: A strict soft diet (yogurt, soup, pasta, eggs) is required for 1-2 weeks. Chewing hard foods can overload the healing PDL and cause splint failure.
Temperature control: Avoid extremely hot or cold foods. The pulp of the traumatized tooth is often in a state of neurogenic inflammation (hypersensitivity), and thermal shock can exacerbate the pain.
Biting restrictions: Patients must be instructed not to bite into anything with their front teeth (sandwiches, apples). All food should be cut into small pieces and chewed with the back molars.
Hydration: Maintaining hydration is essential for mucosal healing, but straws should be avoided after an avulsion, as suction can disturb the clot.
The splint used to stabilize the teeth is a plaque trap. Keeping it clean is essential to prevent gingivitis, which can delay PDL healing.
Interdental brushes: Small brushes can be gently inserted between the wire and the tooth surface to remove food debris, provided they do not apply pressure to the tooth.
Water flossers: Used on a low setting, they can flush debris from around the brackets and wire without mechanical contact.
Visual inspection: Patients should check the splint daily in the mirror. If the composite bonding looks loose or the wire is bent, they must contact the clinic immediately.
Gum health: The gums around the splint should remain pink. Redness or bleeding indicates insufficient cleaning and requires improved attention.
Patients are the first line of defense in detecting complications.
Fistula check: Patients should look for a small “pimple” or bubble appearing on the gum above the injured tooth, which indicates an abscess.
Color changes: Any darkening of the tooth should be noted. While some color change is normal, rapid greying suggests necrosis.
Increased mobility: If the tooth feels looser than it did immediately after the splint was placed (or after removal), it may indicate root resorption or infection.
Pain recurrence: If pain subsides and then returns days or weeks later, it is a sign of infection flare-up requiring immediate endodontic intervention.
Once a tooth has been traumatized, it is weaker and more susceptible to future injury.
Mouthguard fabrication: Once the splint is removed and the tooth is stable, a custom-fabricated mouthguard is essential for any patient returning to sports.
Type of guard: Custom-made guards offer superior protection compared to “boil-and-bite” store-bought versions, as they distribute force more evenly and fit over the specific post-trauma anatomy.
Helmet use: For activities like cycling or skateboarding, full-face helmets or chin guards provide additional protection against facial trauma.
Send us all your questions or requests, and our expert team will assist you.
Stick to a soft diet for at least two weeks, including yogurt, scrambled eggs, pasta, and smoothies, to avoid putting pressure on the healing tooth.
Use a cotton swab dipped in antibacterial mouthwash to gently clean around the wire and brackets, or use a water flosser on the lowest setting.
Chlorhexidine is a powerful antiseptic that kills bacteria and prevents plaque buildup when you cannot brush the painful area, preventing infection during healing.
You should avoid contact sports while the splint is in place; once it is removed, you must wear a custom-fitted mouthguard to protect the tooth from reinjury.
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