Management of dental trauma by general practitioners.

BACKGROUND: Patients who sustain dental trauma commonly present to their general practitioner (GP) or the emergency department, especial-ly to seek help after hours. It is important, therefore, for medical practitioners to correctly diagnose and manage these patients. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this paper is to familiarise GPs with different presentations of dental-related trauma, and a brief management plan for each condition. DISCUSSION: Time is of the utmost importance when dealing with trauma in the dentition. Initial management of dental trauma, primarily by GPs working in rural or remote areas, can have a significant impact on the prognosis of oral hard and soft tissues.