Car crashes often result in injuries that require immediate attention, such as broken bones and head trauma. Dental injuries caused by collisions can be just as painful and disruptive, even if they are less visible. From fractured teeth to jaw damage, dental trauma can result in complications and can affect a crash victim’s health, appearance and quality of life.
The force of impact during a crash—especially one involving a head-on collision or a sudden stop—can cause the face or mouth to strike a steering wheel, dashboard or airbag. Victims may suffer chipped or knocked-out teeth, damaged dental work, soft tissue lacerations and/or fractures to the jaw or facial bones. These injuries are not only painful but can also interfere with eating, speaking and daily functioning.
Treating and paying for extensive dental harm
Dental injuries can be expensive to treat. Restorative procedures like crowns, implants, bridges and reconstructive jaw surgery may be necessary and are often not fully covered by health or auto insurance. In some cases, a victim may need multiple procedures over time to fully recover. The long-term cost and discomfort that a crash victim experiences can, however, be addressed as compensable dental damage when they pursue damages from responsible parties after a crash.
It is important to seek dental care promptly after a crash, even if pain or visible damage is not immediate. Some dental injuries, such as root damage or jaw misalignment, may not present obvious symptoms right away. If you’ve been hurt in this way, know that delaying diagnosis and treatment could make your condition worse and complicate your legal claim.
As many older people tend to remind younger people, “You only get one set of teeth, so you need to take care of them.” If your teeth have been hurt due to another’s negligence, the time to act – medically and legally – is now.