ABSTRACT
Dentoalveolar injuries are unique injuries. Dentoalveolar trauma is more common in younger patients; bony fractures are more common in older patients. This chapter discusses dentoalveolar injuries, focusing on luxations of the teeth, avulsion and dentoalveolar fractures. Intrusion occurs when the tooth is traumatized, pushing it into the alveolar process. If it fails to erupt spontaneously then orthodontic treatment for extrusion should be considered. When assessing a patient with an oral injury, the mechanism of injury is important. There are a myriad of other dentoalveolar injuries that occur. A thorough systematic post-traumatic evaluation helps to avoid inadvertent unrecognized injury. After the permanent incisors begin to erupt, the adult dentition is at risk for injury. The maxillary incisors are the most prominent teeth in the anterior dentition and have a high likelihood for damage. Root fractures occur with direct trauma to the crown.
