Title: Dental Luxation (Tooth Displacement): Emergency Care, Accurate Diagnosis & Treatment | Corona Dental, Barcelona
A dental luxation is a serious traumatic injury where a tooth is displaced from its normal position within the socket (alveolus), typically due to an impact or blow. The upper front teeth and canines are most commonly affected. It is crucial not to attempt to re-position the tooth yourself, as this can worsen the injury. The key to saving the tooth lies in seeking immediate professional care. At Corona Dental in Barcelona, we provide comprehensive diagnosis and advanced treatment for all types of dental luxations, utilising state-of-the-art digital technology and a personalised approach for every patient.
Symptoms and Types of Luxation: How to Identify It
We classify dental luxation into three main types, each with specific symptoms:
-
Extrusive Luxation / Subluxation (Incomplete): The tooth is displaced (tipped forward, backward, sideways, or rotated), has increased mobility, but remains in the socket. It is tender to touch (percussion) and often prevents proper bite closure (occlusion). The gum appears oedematous (swollen), bruised, and may bleed. The primary risk is damage to the pulp (the neurovascular bundle) and potential root resorption.
-
Avulsion (Complete Luxation): The tooth has been completely knocked out of its socket. A bleeding, empty socket remains, with inflamed gum tissue. This is a dental emergency requiring immediate replantation to attempt to save the tooth.
-
Intrusive Luxation (Intruded/Impacted): The tooth has been driven partially or completely into the alveolar bone and gum tissue, appearing "shorter." There is swelling and bleeding. This is the most severe type, with a high risk of root fracture, pulp necrosis, and in primary ("baby") teeth, it can damage the developing permanent tooth bud.
Causes of Dental Luxation
The primary cause is always acute trauma:
-
A direct blow to the face (sports accidents, falls, assaults).
-
A fall onto a hard surface.
-
Biting down on a hard object (e.g., bone, stone in food).
-
Less frequently, an iatrogenic accident during a complex dental extraction.
Dental Luxation in Children: Key Considerations
Luxation injuries to primary teeth are very common in paediatric dentistry. The anatomy of baby teeth (shorter roots, more elastic bone) predisposes them to avulsions and intrusions. Intrusions require particular attention, as they can affect the developing permanent tooth. At Corona Dental, our paediatric dentistry specialists have extensive experience managing these traumas, using minimally invasive diagnostic and treatment protocols.
Diagnosis at Corona Dental: Precision as the Foundation of Treatment
A clinical examination alone is insufficient. To assess the extent of damage to the root, alveolar bone, and supporting tissues, we perform a differential diagnosis (to distinguish between luxation, root fracture, or crown fracture). Our clinic is equipped with advanced imaging technology:
-
Digital Periapical Radiograph: For an initial assessment of the tooth and surrounding bone.
-
Cone Beam Computed Tomography (CBCT): The 3D revolution. This provides a detailed volumetric image, allowing us to identify root fissures, fractures of the socket walls, and plan treatment with absolute precision.
Treatment Protocol at Corona Dental, Barcelona
The choice of therapy depends on the type of luxation, pulp vitality, the state of the bone, and critically, the time elapsed since the injury.
-
Emergency Care: Dental Avulsion (Replantation):
Time is the critical factor. If the patient arrives at our clinic during the "golden hour" (first 30-60 minutes), the chances of successful replantation are highest. Our surgeons will manage the avulsed tooth and socket with care, re-position the tooth, and splint (immobilise) it with a flexible, biocompatible splint for several weeks. Subsequent rigorous follow-up and, in most cases, endodontic treatment (root canal therapy) are usually required to prevent complications.
-
Treatment for Extrusive/Incomplete Luxation:
Following diagnosis and under local anaesthesia, the dentist performs gentle manual repositioning of the tooth. Then, splinting is carried out for a period of 2 to 4 weeks. If pulp vitality tests (thermal/electric) indicate irreversible nerve damage, a pulpectomy (pulp removal) and root canal obturation will be performed.
-
Management of Intrusive Luxation:
The strategy is individualised. In some cases, especially with primary teeth or mild intrusions in permanent teeth, watchful waiting (allowing for spontaneous re-eruption) may be appropriate. In others, surgical or orthodontic repositioning (extrusion with braces) is necessary. Pulp status is monitored closely, with root canal treatment initiated at the first signs of necrosis.
-
When Conservation is Not Possible:
If there is a longitudinal root fracture, severe root crushing, or extensive bone damage, extraction is the indicated option. Once the socket has healed, Corona Dental's implantology and prosthodontics specialists will offer the best solutions to restore aesthetics and function: from immediate or delayed dental implant placement to conventional fixed bridges.
Why Choose Corona Dental in Barcelona?
-
Emergency Appointments: We treat dental trauma with the urgency it requires.
-
Cutting-edge Diagnostics: CBCT allows us to make clinical decisions based on precise 3D information, avoiding surprises.
-
Multidisciplinary Approach: We have an integrated team of oral surgeons, endodontists, periodontists, and prosthodontists to cover all treatment phases under one roof.
-
Paediatric Dentistry Expertise: Gentle and effective management of trauma in both primary and young permanent teeth.
-
Updated Techniques & Materials: We use non-invasive splinting, biocompatible materials, and clinical protocols based on the latest scientific evidence.
If you suspect a dental luxation, do not wait. Time is of the essence. Contact Corona Dental in Barcelona immediately for an accurate diagnosis and the best chance of saving your natural tooth.
