If a piece of tooth or dental appliance is chipped or missing, check
for pieces of the tooth or appliance in any mouth wound. Tooth fragments or
other objects, such as an orthodontic wire, left in a mouth wound can irritate
mouth tissues, delay healing, and lead to infection or scarring. An object may
also be accidentally inhaled or swallowed.
An X-ray of the wound may be needed to make sure there is nothing in
the wound. See your health professional if you cannot remove an object from
your mouth wound or you suspect that you have an object in a mouth wound after
an injury.
