Your Dental Injuries Could Be Compensated through a Greenville, South Carolina, Personal Injury Claim

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Dental injuries are painful and excruciating, and can occur in a variety of different ways. All it takes is for your mouth to to be struck by an object or to be slammed closed by a significant impact, and your teeth can be terribly damaged.
These types of injuries can occur in auto accidents, in slip or trip and fall accidents, in work accidents, in accidents involving a fall from a significant height, and in sports accidents, just to name a few examples. It is also quite common for dental injuries to occur along with other ailments that may take precedence in terms of treatment. For instance, if you fall from a height, there’s a good chance that much more than your teeth are damaged. You may have a broken jaw that has to be wired shut, broken bones so severe that you need surgery, or you may be temporarily bedridden or out of commission until you heal.
In such cases, your other injuries may prevent you from seeking treatment for your dental injuries right away. While this doesn’t mean that your dental damage can’t be addressed eventually, it can sometimes limit your options for treatment, and it can cause your dental injuries to become much worse by the time you are able to address them. In the meantime, you have to deal with the pain and the embarrassment from the disfigurement or damage to your appearance. 

Greenville, South Carolina Personal Injuries Claim
Seek compensation for your personal injuries with legal representation from David R. Price, Jr., P.A.

Different Ways that Dental Injuries May Happen in Greenville, South Carolina, Personal Injury Claims

The different ways that dental injuries may happen in Greenville, South Carolina, personal injury claims are quite numerous. For example, if you are in an auto accident, there are several different hazards that could harm your teeth. You could have dental injuries that are caused by the airbag going off in your face with enough force to knock a tooth loose. If you are a passenger who is sitting with your knees up, then your own knees could slam into your teeth (this is why it is wise for passengers to always keep their feet on the floorboard in case an auto accident occurs). You could also be struck by an object or slam your face into the dashboard or steering wheel. Just the force of the impact could cause your mouth to slam shut hard enough to damage your teeth.  
All of the risks of dental injuries that occur during auto accidents similarly occur in other types of accidents. If you fall from a height or trip and fall, you could strike the ground with enough force to slam your mouth shut, you could hit another object, or your teeth could directly impact the ground. In sports injuries, you are at risk of dental injuries from impacting another player with your teeth, or from a fall in which you teeth strike the ground, or from some other type of impact that causes your mouth to slam shut. Whatever kind of accident caused your dental injury, the risks are the same, and the same types of dental injuries can occur.

Common Dental Injuries in Greenville, South Carolina, Personal Injury Claims

When your teeth actually impact an object or are impacted by an object, this is a direct dental injury. If your mouth slams shut hard enough to knock a tooth loose, this is an indirect dental injury. The following are common types of dental injuries in Greenville, South Carolina, personal injury claims:

  • Avulsed Tooth Injuries – Tooth is knocked completely out.
  • Tooth Luxation Injuries – Tooth is loosened significantly.
  • Fractured Tooth Injuries – Tooth is broken.

South Carolina Personal Injury Claims Involving Avulsed Tooth Injuries

If you suffer an avulsed tooth injury, it means that your tooth was completely knocked out of its socket. Many people don’t know that it is often possible to actually put a tooth back in the socket and save it. This is not always an option though after a serious personal injury. The only way to save an avulsed tooth is to find it (which can be challenging), handle it correctly (only touching the crown), store it properly (in whole milk or saline solution), and then get it to the dentist within two hours of the injury. If you don’t take those steps – and your other injuries may not allow it – then you are unlikely to be able to save the tooth. In such cases, you may be able to replace the tooth with an implant.

Greenville, South Carolina, Personal Injury Claims Involving Tooth Luxations

If you suffer a tooth luxation injury,  it means that your tooth has been knocked loose, but not all the way out of the socket. This injury has a good prognosis. The dentist can usually push the tooth back into place, and then you just have to give it time to heal. Yet, there are cases where the dentist may discover that you have further damage, and the tooth may have to be pulled.

Greenville Personal Injury Claims Involving Fractured Teeth

If you suffer a fractured tooth injury, there is a range of severity that will dictate how the injury is handled. These injuries are rated on the Ellis scale. With Ellis I tooth fracture injuries, you can likely have the tooth repaired without too much trouble. Such injuries only affect the crown of the tooth and do not damage the enamel. You probably won’t even experience a lot of pain, and the tooth won’t change color. If you have an Ellis II tooth fracture injury, then you will notice sensitivity, pain, and a yellowish discoloration of your tooth. These fractures affect the enamel and the dentin of your tooth, but can usually also be corrected without too much trouble. If you have an Ellis III tooth fracture injury, then you are dealing with a most severe and painful tooth fracture. You will feel a lot of pain, and you may see blood or reddish discoloration. These injuries affect the enamel, the dentin, and the pulp layer of your tooth and can be the most difficult to repair.

Contact David R. Price, Jr., P.A. for a Free Greenville, South Carolina, Personal Injury Consultation

Dental injuries can be painful and disfiguring. If you have suffered from such an injury due to the negligence of someone else, then you need to contact an attorney for a free consultation. The Greenville, South Carolina, personal injury attorneys at David R. Price, Jr., P.A. are happy to help.

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