23 Feb Luxated or Avulsed Displaced Teeth
Luxations and avulsions of the teeth occur when the tooth is dislocated or displaced from its normal position, usually a result of trauma. Most often trauma occurs from inadvertent baseball bat or golf club swings, animal fights, or after a pet is hit by a car.
The patient’s right canine tooth (seen on the left in photo) was dislocated after a dog fight.
Replacement and reimplantation of an avulsed tooth can sometimes be performed but needs to be done very soon after the injury (i.e. within 2 hours ideally). If the tooth completely falls out, the tooth should be placed in milk or saline for transport to the veterinary office. Following replacement of the tooth, endodontic therapy ( root canal therapy ) will also be necessary to save the tooth. Reimplanted teeth are stabilized (as in picture to above left) until the tooth socket fibers regenerate and reattach.