Dr. Shiel received a Bachelor of Science degree with honors from the University of Notre Dame. There he was involved in research in radiation biology and received the Huisking Scholarship. After graduating from St. Louis University School of Medicine, he completed his Internal Medicine residency and Rheumatology fellowship at the University of California, Irvine. He is board-certified in Internal Medicine and Rheumatology.
Instead of being completely knocked out of the mouth, a tooth
can be
displaced. A displaced tooth may be pulled out and appear
elongated, or be
pushed in and appear shorter. A displaced tooth can also be
pushed
forward, backward, sideways, or rotated. While not an
emergency, the
sooner the dentist can splint or realign the tooth with
orthodontic
brackets and wires, the easier it can be brought back into
proper
alignment. Trauma significant enough to cause tooth
displacement can also
lead to pulp injury. Therefore, a displaced tooth should be
evaluated
periodically for several months to determine if a root canal
procedure or
tooth extraction is needed.
Prevention of dental injuries
Prevention of dental injuries involves aligning protruding
front teeth
by dental braces and using face masks and mouthguards while
participating
in sports. Mouthguards have been shown to reduce trauma not
only to teeth,
gums, and the surrounding jaw bone but also to reduce injury
to the
temporomandibular joints (TMJ) and to reduce the intensity and
number of
head concussions. Mouthguards also reduce pressure and bone
deformation of
the skull when a force is directed to the chin.
Before the mandatory use of face masks and mouthguards for
high school
and college football players in l963, 50% of all football
injuries
involved the face and the mouth. Since the mandatory use of
these
protective devices, dental injuries in football players have
almost been
eliminated. It is now recommended that mouthguards be worn, not
only for
organized football, but also for unorganized football, baseball,
basketball, racquetball, soccer, ice, field, and street hockey,
wrestling,
boxing, martial arts, volleyball, rollerblading, skating,
skateboarding,
and bicycling.
Mouthguards can be purchased in pharmacies and sports supply
stores and
molded at home. They can also be custom made by the dentist.
Store-bought
mouthguards are less expensive than custom-made ones. However,
the store-bought ones may not fit the athlete's mouth, may become loose,
may be
uncomfortably bulky, and may interfere with speech or
breathing. The ideal
mouthguards are custom made by a dentist. An impression is made
of the
athlete's upper dental arch to make a mold of his/her teeth and
gums. A
custom mouthguard made of a vinyl acetate ethylene copolymer (a
special
plastic) is then fabricated from this mold in the dental office
or by a
dental laboratory. A well-fitting custom mouthguard is
comfortable and
will not interfere with breathing and speech.
A minor broken tooth (fracture) involves chipping of the
enamel only.
A deeper fracture can involve both the enamel and the
dentin of a
tooth.
Death of pulp tissue can lead to serious tooth infection
and abscess.
A serious fracture that exposes both the dentin and the
pulp tissue
should be treated promptly.
The most important variable affecting the success of
reimplantation
of a tooth that is knocked out is the amount of time
that the
tooth is out of its socket.
Care should be taken to handle the knocked-out tooth only
by its
crown and not by its root.
Prevention of dental injuries involves aligning protruding
front
teeth by dental braces and using face masks and mouthguards
while
participating in sports.
REFERENCE:
Andreasen, Jens O., et al. Traumatic Dental Injuries: A Manual. 2nd ed. Ames, IA: Blackwell, 2003.
Toothache usually refers to pain around the teeth or jaws. In most instances, toothaches are caused by tooth or jaw problems, such as a dental cavity, a cracked tooth, an exposed tooth root, gum disease, disease of the jaw joint (TMJ), or spasms of the muscles used for chewing. A toothache can also be caused by a problem that does not originate from a tooth or the jaw, like diseases of the heart (angina or heart attack), ear infections, and sinus infections. A thorough oral examination, which includes dental X-rays, can help determine the cause.
Find out more about how orthodontic braces and retainers can provide proper alignment to crooked teeth. Get answers to all your braces questions about care, clear braces, and color bands.
The most common cause of a black eye is due to an injury to the face or head. Most black eye injuries are minor and heal on their own, however, some may lead to significant injury. In addition to trauma to the face, cosmetic surgery can cause a black eye(s) as a side effect. People should be aware of the situations in which medical care should be sought immediately for a black eye.
Endocarditis, a serious infection of one of the four heart valves is caused by growth of bacteria on one of the heart valves; leading to an infected massed called a "vegetation." The infection can be caused by having bacteria in the bloodstream after dental work, colonoscopy, or other similar procedures. Endocarditis symptoms include fever, fatigue, weakness, chills, aching muscles and joints, night sweats, edema in the legs, feet, or abdomen, malaise, shortness of breath and small skin lesions. Treatment for endocarditis is generally aggressive antibiotic treatment.
Learn more about what cavities like, their symptoms, treatment and prevention. See how tooth decay, plaque and bacteria contribute to the creation of cavities and how regular brushing and flossing can help.
Children's health is focused on the well-being of children from conception through adolescence. There are many aspects of children's health, including growth and development, illnesses, injuries, behavior, mental illness, family health and community health.
First aid is a complicated subject and it is situation-specific. First aid is the help and medical assistance that someone gives, not only to an injured person, but to a person who is sick. Preparedness is a key element of first aid, like having basic medical emergency kits in your home, car, boat, or RV. Cuts, puncture wounds, sprains, strains, nosebleeds are one type of injury that may require first aid; heart attacks, strokes, seizures, and heat stroke are examples of more critical first aid emergencies.
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