February 10, 2021

Your teeth are incredibly strong, in fact tooth enamel is the hardest substance in the body making teeth stronger than bones!  

Accidents do happen though, and physical injury can damage not only your teeth but the surrounding gum, alveolar bone (the bone that holds the tooth sockets) and the soft tissues of the mouth, including your lips and tongue. No matter how careful we are our teeth can sustain dental injuries – from a simple trip in the garden or a slip in the bath, to an elbow in the face during a rugby match, a fall whilst horse riding or a car accident.

If your teeth are damaged it can have a life changing and long-standing detrimental effect.  Losing a tooth, or damaging the area around a tooth, can be distressing and can really affect your self-esteem and influence your speech and eating.  Injuries can range from a simple fracture of the tooth enamel, to displacing or knocking the tooth out completely, it is crucial that damaged teeth receive the appropriate care and treatment to maximise the chance of saving the tooth.

Our Specialist in Endodontics, Lyndon Meehan, is an expert in saving teeth following dental trauma.  He was a previous inaugural board member of the national charity Dental Trauma UK which promotes awareness of management of teeth that have sustained Dental Trauma.  Lyndon’s particular interest is in managing traumatic dental injuries arising in sport and the subsequent Endodontic challenges that arise,

Lyndon has extensive experience (within hospital and private practice) in accepting, assessing, and immediately managing complex and challenging traumatic dental injury cases.  He lectures nationally on Dental Trauma (watch this space!) and has contributed to textbooks and helped develop several UK national policies and position statements regarding Oral Health and optimal Dental Trauma management within sport. He was honoured to have been involved in providing Endodontic treatment in the athlete’s village polyclinic during the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games and is also a regular pitch side trauma dentist at high profile international rugby and football events, most notably the Rugby World Cup 2015 and the Champions league final in Cardiff in 2017.

At Bristol Dental Specialists we can also help you protect your teeth. During Lyndon’s years of treating sports injuries, he has seen some cases that could have been avoided or lessened if a custom fitted mouthguard had been worn.  Protecting your teeth by wearing a mouthguard for sport is essential and one made by a dental professional will be specifically fitted to your mouth, teeth, and gums, providing better protection and comfort leaving you to concentrate on your game – whether you’re a professional athlete or a keen ‘weekend warrior’ amateur.  Whatever your chosen sport, knowing that your teeth and smile are protected will give you peace of mind.

Our Specialist Dental practice in Clifton, Bristol, has the multidisciplinary team of expertise, together under one roof to jointly manage, plan and treat even the most complex of dental trauma cases. All our Specialists work closely together using the latest digital dental technology, and our highly motivated and integrated dental and nursing team will manage your treatment journey from start to finish to reassure you and put you at ease.

Bristol Dental Specialists can discuss and accept referral cases either directly, or from referring dentists throughout the South West of England and South Wales.  Our simple online referral forms can be found here.  If you are looking to refer yourself, or if you are a dentist looking to refer a patient you can be assured that you are in the safest of hands. As an introduction to our services, we are offering a free initial video consultation to discuss your case and ask any questions you may have.