While airbags save lives by preventing more serious injuries during motor vehicle collisions, they can cause significant damage to existing dental work, facial reconstructions, and cosmetic enhancements. The force of airbag deployment—which can reach speeds of up to 200 miles per hour—often strikes the face and mouth area with tremendous impact.
At Bollwerk & Associates, our St. Louis car accident lawyers understand that these injuries represent more than just physical damage; they can undo years of medical treatment and financial investment. If your previous dental work or cosmetic procedures were damaged in a car accident caused by someone else's negligence, you may be entitled to compensation for both the original investment and the cost of repairs or replacements.
Common Types of Dental Work Damaged by Airbag Deployment
Modern dental treatments represent significant financial investments that can be completely destroyed when an airbag deploys during a collision.
- Dental implants. The sudden force can loosen or completely dislodge titanium posts from the jawbone. Unlike natural teeth, implants don't have the same flexibility to absorb impact, making them more susceptible to complete failure. The crown portion may chip or break entirely, while the underlying implant structure can become compromised—requiring complete replacement rather than simple repair.
- Porcelain veneers and crowns. These thin shells of porcelain can crack, chip, or shatter completely upon impact. Even minor cracks can compromise the entire restoration, as bacteria can enter through hairline fractures and cause decay underneath.
- Fixed bridges. The connecting structure means that the impact force gets distributed across multiple teeth, potentially damaging several crowns simultaneously. Bridge replacement often requires more extensive work than the original installation, as the supporting teeth may have sustained additional damage during the accident.
- Orthodontic work. Braces, retainers, and clear aligners can be severely damaged by airbag deployment. Metal brackets can be driven into the lips and cheeks, causing lacerations while simultaneously damaging the orthodontic appliances. Years of carefully planned tooth movement can be undone in seconds, requiring patients to restart their orthodontic treatment from the beginning.
- Dentures and partial plates. The force can launch removable dental appliances toward the back of the throat, creating choking hazards while simultaneously breaking the prosthetics. Custom-fitted partials that took months to perfect may require complete replacement and new fitting procedures.
Cosmetic Procedures at Risk During Car Accidents
The face bears the brunt of the airbag impact, putting numerous types of cosmetic enhancements at risk.
- Rhinoplasty. The carefully sculpted cartilage and bone structures can be re-fractured or displaced, requiring revision surgery that may be more extensive than the original procedure.
- Facial implants. Cheek, chin, and jaw implants can shift, crack, or rupture when subjected to airbag forces. Displacement often requires surgical repositioning, while ruptured implants necessitate complete replacement and potential tissue repair.
- Botox and dermal filler treatments. While the products themselves may not be directly damaged, the facial trauma from a car accident can cause uneven healing that affects the cosmetic results.
- Eyelid surgery and brow lift procedures. The force can cause sutures to tear and carefully positioned tissues to shift. Scar tissue formation may be more pronounced after trauma, potentially requiring revision surgeries to achieve acceptable cosmetic results.
- Laser treatments and chemical peels. The combination of heat, friction, and chemical exposure from airbag deployment can create irregular scarring that undoes months or years of gradual skin improvement treatments.
Understanding the Financial Impact
The financial burden of replacing damaged dental work and cosmetic procedures extends far beyond the original treatment costs. Accident victims often face higher expenses for repairs and replacements than they paid for the initial procedures.
Revision surgeries typically cost more than original procedures because they require more time, skill, and resources to achieve acceptable results. Scar tissue and altered anatomy from facial injuries make subsequent treatments more challenging. Patients may also need multiple revision procedures to restore their pre-accident appearance.
Temporary solutions while waiting for permanent repairs add to the overall cost burden. Patients may need temporary crowns, partial dentures, or other stopgap measures to maintain function and appearance during the healing process. These temporary devices represent additional expenses that wouldn't have been necessary without the accident.
Lost work time for multiple appointments compounds the financial impact. Revision procedures often require more recovery time than original treatments, extending the period of missed work. Some patients may need to take unpaid leave or use vacation days for the extensive treatment schedules required to restore their pre-accident condition.
Legal Rights and Compensation Options
St. Louis car accident victims whose dental work or cosmetic procedures are damaged have specific legal rights that many people don't fully understand. The at-fault driver's insurance should cover the cost of restoring your pre-accident condition, not just providing basic care.
While insurance adjusters may try to argue that new work represents an improvement over aged restorations, you shouldn't have to accept inferior replacements. The goal should be restoring you to your pre-accident condition, regardless of the age of the damaged work.
At Bollwerk & Associates, our St. Louis car accident attorneys understand the unique challenges faced by accident victims whose dental work and cosmetic procedures are damaged. We work with medical experts to document your losses and fight for compensation that truly reflects the impact on your life and finances.
