Investigations that should be considered are outlined in the table below:
Special test | Rationale |
Chest X-ray | Used to exclude aspiration risk when patient is unaware of where a missing tooth or tooth fragment is. |
Soft tissue view | Useful to exclude fragments of teeth becoming lodged within deep lacerations to the lips, cheeks and face |
Orthopantomogram (OPT or OPG) | Assessment of dental structures. Can be useful if doubt exists over whether tooth is a deciduous (baby) or adult tooth, and useful to assess degree of damage to dental and periodontal structures. This type of x-ray can also be beneficial to assess if a tooth has fractured at crown level, or have been intruded, as in both scenarios only a very small “tip” of a tooth can be seen. |