I heard later that when teeth come out, there is a three-hour window within which the teeth may be shoved back into their sockets and may have a chance to (now I'm not sure about this) reconnect with their roots. My teeth had come out nice and clean, and were in perfect condition.

When I had first come into the E.R., one of the first actions anyone took was to put those teeth back into their sockets. I was amazed that the teeth did not just fall back down onto my tongue. But they stuck and I was careful not to disturb them.

The dental resident told me that I would probably need root canals for both teeth. I did not really understand all of the things that she told me. Apparently, the roots of the broken teeth could still be reabsorbed into the gum tissue. I am not sure how this relates to whether or not I'd need root canals. I could probably get a better explanation from Ian about this, since he was there at the time. Also, some of my other teeth were loose, but did not need treatment tonight.

The resident created an "arch" which held the broken teeth to the teeth right next to them. It was a lot like braces, except that instead of the metal pieces that braces use to attach the wire to the teeth, she used some sort of glue. Strangely enough, she did not have an assistant, but seemed to need one, so the plastic surgeon stepped in and helped her pretty effectively.

When the arch over my teeth was finished, the resident told me to make an appointment with my dentist a week from now so he could take over and begin the real repairs. Later, my E.R. doctor suggested we see a dentist sooner rather than later. When we finally talked to my dentist the next day, he concurred with the dental resident - there really wasn't anything he could do until things had healed some more.

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Next: Mending a Shattered Fence

Table of Contents: The Big Bike Accident - September 1, 2004