Dental Trauma Care
Dental Trauma Care provided by Our Expert Dentists
in Bells, Jackson, Milan & Lexington, TN at Premier Dental Center
 If you or someone in your family has a mouth injury and needs dental trauma care in Bells, Jackson, Milan, or Lexington, TN, Premier Dental Center is ready to help you fast.
Dental trauma covers everything from a tooth knocked out on the ball field to a cracked tooth from a fall or a split lip in a car accident. When it happens, knowing what to do in the first few minutes can be the difference between saving a tooth and losing it.
A mouth injury is stressful, and it’s rarely just one thing. A hard hit can knock out a tooth, fracture the ones next to it, and cut a lip all at once. Our job is to sort out what needs attention first, stabilize the damage, and give you a clear path forward. If you’re dealing with a chip rather than a full break, our guide on what to do if you chip a tooth is a good place to start.
The most important thing to know is that quick action matters. Call your nearest office as soon as you can so we can guide you over the phone and get you seen. The faster we evaluate a dental injury, the more we can usually do to save the tooth.
What Counts as Dental Trauma
 Dental trauma is any injury to your teeth, gums, or the soft tissue and bone around them. Some injuries are obvious, and some hide damage you can’t see, which is why even a minor-looking hit is worth a call.
- Knocked-out teeth – A fully displaced permanent tooth is a true emergency. Handled correctly within the first hour, it can often be re-implanted.
- Broken or fractured teeth – Damage ranges from a small chip to a break that reaches the nerve. Some need a simple repair, others a crown or root canal.
- Soft tissue injuries – Cuts to the lips, cheeks, tongue, or gums can bleed heavily and sometimes need stitches.
- Jaw injuries – Pain when opening or closing, or teeth that no longer meet correctly, can signal a more serious injury that needs prompt evaluation.
Not every injury looks as bad as it is, and the reverse is just as true. A tooth that seems fine after a knock can have nerve damage that only surfaces later, so it’s always worth having us take a look.
Common Causes of Dental Trauma
Most of the injuries we treat trace back to a few everyday situations. Sports lead the list, followed by falls (especially among young children and older adults), vehicle accidents, and workplace injuries. Many of these are preventable, and a well-fitted sports mouth guard stops a large share of athletic injuries before they start.
When to Go to the ER First
Most dental injuries are best handled at a dental office, but some need a hospital first. Go to the emergency room or call 911 if you have bleeding that won’t stop after 10 to 15 minutes of steady pressure, signs of a broken jaw such as being unable to open or close your mouth, or any head injury, loss of consciousness, or trouble breathing or swallowing. Once you’re stable and the medical side is handled, call us for the dental repair. We’re glad to coordinate with your medical providers when an injury involves both.
Emergency Care From a Team You Already Know
When you’re hurting, the last thing you want is to explain your whole history to a stranger. Our doctors have handled dental emergencies for West Tennessee families since 1979, and being an established patient means we already know your teeth when something goes wrong. New patients are always welcome too, and we’ll get you in as quickly as we can.
Our team treats the full range of trauma we see in general practice, from re-implanting and splinting teeth to repairing fractures and stitching soft tissue. Because the same group of doctors works across our four West Tennessee offices, your history is on hand wherever you’re seen. We also know our limits: if an injury needs a specialist, we’ll tell you straight and help arrange that care rather than leave you guessing. More about our team and approach.
What to Do When Dental Trauma Happens
If a tooth is knocked out, pick it up by the crown, never the root, and gently rinse off dirt without scrubbing. If you can, slip it back into the socket and bite down on clean gauze to hold it there. If that isn’t possible, keep it in milk or tucked inside your cheek and get to us within the hour.
For a broken tooth, save any pieces you can find and rinse your mouth with warm water. A cold compress on the outside of your cheek brings down swelling, and over-the-counter pain relief helps until you’re seen. For a cut to the lip, cheek, or gums, apply gentle pressure with clean gauze to control the bleeding.
Then call your nearest office right away, and if it’s a Monday or Tuesday, our Jackson location stays open until 7pm. We’ll give you instructions specific to your situation and make room to see you. When you arrive, we examine the injury, take any imaging we need to check for hidden damage, and address the most urgent problems first, whether that’s stabilizing a tooth, controlling pain, or protecting an exposed nerve.
Once the emergency is under control, we plan the longer-term repair. Depending on the injury, that might mean a dental crown, a root canal to save a damaged nerve, bonding for a smaller chip, or, when a tooth can’t be saved, replacing it with a dental implant. We walk you through each option before moving ahead.
Why Fast Treatment Matters
Getting care quickly after a dental injury changes what’s possible. A knocked-out tooth re-implanted within the first hour has a real chance of surviving; wait too long and that window closes. That’s why we keep room for emergencies across all four of our offices and stay open late in Jackson on Mondays and Tuesdays.
Fast treatment also heads off infection. An exposed nerve or a deep crack is an open door for bacteria, and treating it promptly prevents the kind of painful abscess that turns a manageable problem into a much bigger one. Prompt care usually means simpler, less expensive treatment, too.
There’s also the damage you can’t see. A tooth that survives a hit can slowly lose its nerve over weeks or months, sometimes with no pain at first. Our 3D imaging and digital X-rays let us catch that quietly developing damage early, before it costs you the tooth. If a tooth was already lost, acting sooner keeps your options open for tooth replacement down the road.
Why Choose Premier Dental Center for Urgent Care
When a dental injury strikes, you want a practice that’s close by and ready to see you. With four offices in Bells, Jackson, Milan, and Lexington, there’s a familiar team near you across West Tennessee. Our Jackson office keeps extended hours on Mondays and Tuesdays, open from 7am to 7pm, which makes it easier to be seen early or late when an injury can’t wait.
We’re also set up to diagnose trauma accurately on the spot. Our dental technology, including 3D imaging and digital X-rays, lets us see fractures and root damage that aren’t visible on the surface, so nothing gets missed in the rush of an emergency.
 The best dental injury is the one that never happens. For athletes of every age, a custom-fitted mouthguard absorbs the impact that would otherwise crack or knock out a tooth, and we make them right in our offices for a far better fit than the drugstore versions. If your family includes weekend warriors or school athletes, ask us about getting fitted before the season starts.
The Cost of Emergency Dental Care
Cost is the last thing you want to think about mid-emergency, and we get that. What an injury costs to treat depends on what happened, how many teeth are involved, and whether the fix is a simple repair or something more involved like a crown or a replacement. We’ll always explain the cost before we start anything beyond getting you stable.
Many dental injuries are at least partly covered by insurance, and some may fall under your medical coverage when an accident is involved. Our team will help you sort out what applies, and you can read more about how we handle insurance and billing.
If you don’t have coverage or need to spread the cost out, dental financing through CareCredit, Cherry, and Sunbit lets you pay over time so you can get the urgent care you need now. Call 731-300-3000 and we’ll walk through your options.
Hurt Now? Here’s How to Reach Us
If you’re dealing with a dental injury, don’t wait. Call us at 731-300-3000 so we can guide you and get you seen. For non-urgent follow-up, you can also schedule an appointment. Our Jackson office is at 80 Exeter Rd, Jackson, TN 38305. We also have offices in Bells, Milan, and Lexington. Find the one nearest you on our list of office locations.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a knocked-out tooth really be saved?
Often yes, if you act fast. A permanent tooth re-implanted within 30 to 60 minutes has the best odds, which is why how you store it matters: milk or saliva, never water or a dry napkin. Baby teeth are not re-implanted, so for a child’s knocked-out baby tooth, call us for guidance rather than trying to reinsert it.
My tooth doesn’t hurt after getting hit. Do I still need to come in?
Yes. A tooth can survive an impact and still suffer nerve damage that shows up weeks or months later, sometimes as darkening of the tooth or a sudden ache. A quick exam now, often with an X-ray, catches that kind of problem early, while it’s still simple to treat. It’s a short visit that can save you a much bigger one.
How do I know whether to go to the ER or the dentist?
As a rule, the ER comes first for uncontrolled bleeding, a suspected broken jaw, or any head injury, and the dentist comes first for damaged teeth without those red flags. When you’re genuinely unsure, call our office, we can talk it through in a minute and point you to the right place. It’s always better to ask than to guess with an injury.
Will I be charged extra for an emergency or same-day visit?
We aim to be upfront about cost, even in an emergency. You won’t be hit with surprise fees: we explain what treatment costs before doing anything beyond getting you stable and comfortable. If cost is a worry, ask about financing when you call, and we’ll help you find a way to get the care you need.
What should I do with a broken piece of my tooth?
Save it. Put any fragments in a small container with milk or your own saliva and bring them with you, since in some cases we can reattach a piece with dental bonding. Rinse your mouth gently with warm water, use a cold compress for swelling, and avoid chewing on that side until we see you.
Can you treat my child’s dental injury?
Yes, we treat the whole family, children included. Kids’ dental injuries are common and often involve baby teeth, which we handle differently than adult teeth. Stay calm, control any bleeding with gentle pressure, and call us, your reaction helps your child stay calm too.
How can we prevent dental injuries in the first place?
For athletes, the single biggest step is a properly fitted sports mouthguard, which prevents a large share of sports-related tooth damage. Beyond sports, avoid using your teeth as tools to open packages, fix loose rugs or poor lighting that lead to falls, and keep up with checkups so weak or cracked teeth get caught before they fail. |
