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Tooth dislocation: causes, symptoms, diagnosis, treatment
Last reviewed: 07.07.2025
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Dislocation of a tooth is often accompanied by damage to the walls of the alveolus.
In children, the most common problem is dislocation of one or more front teeth.
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Symptoms of tooth dislocation
The nature and symptoms of tooth dislocation and alveolar damage largely depend on the location of the force application and the direction of the traumatic factor. Tooth dislocation can be complete (the tooth completely loses its connection with the alveolus and falls out), incomplete (the periodontal rupture occurs only in a limited area and therefore the tooth does not fall out of the alveolus, but becomes mobile) and impacted (the tooth pierces the bottom of the alveolus with its apex and sinks into the bone). Incomplete tooth dislocations can have a number of clinical and radiological varieties.
Treatment of tooth dislocation
The risk of infection and inflammation in the periodontium and alveolus in case of tooth dislocation is higher than in case of tooth contusion or fracture. Therefore, treatment of tooth dislocation should be aimed at both preventing osteomyelitis of the jaw and replanting the tooth. If a child under 3 years of age has an incomplete dislocation of a baby tooth, it should be fixed with a plastic mouth guard, since it is impossible to use a wire splint at this age due to the small size of the crowns and instability of the teeth. If a tooth is partially dislocated in a child aged 3-7 years, a smooth metal splint made of 1-1.3 mm thick wire is used (according to the Schelhorn or K. S. Yadrova method).
It is not recommended to replant completely dislocated primary teeth, because they can cause the development of a follicular cyst and, therefore, prevent the eruption of permanent teeth. On the contrary, replantation of permanent teeth is advisable regardless of the degree of root formation, since the roots do not dissolve in all cases. In children with root resorption, determined on an X-ray, the teeth often remain immobile, performing the usual functional load.
In all cases of tooth replantation without preliminary trepanation, the pulp dies, but the roots either do not dissolve at all, or dissolve more slowly than in depulped teeth.