When you have a broken tooth, the most important thing you can do is seek immediate treatment. A broken tooth can actually cause many issues if left untreated. Dr. Sowell and Dr. Chen offer many treatment options for repair if you visit us as soon as possible. The longer you wait to have the tooth repaired, the more you risk damaging the tooth further.
Solutions for a Broken Tooth
Dental Crown
Permanent dental crowns consist of metal, porcelain fused to metal, all-resin, or all-ceramic materials. Each type has its own benefits. Crowns are like ‘caps’ that are custom-made to fit right over the tooth. They provide strength for the tooth and prevent decay.
Porcelain Dental Veneers
These ultra-thin outer shells can straighten and beautify your front teeth and smile. Porcelain veneers bond directly to the tooth and can hide almost any tooth imperfection. They can cover up chips, cracks, and other imperfections in the tooth. Porcelain veneers can also help protect the tooth from further damage.
Root Canal Procedure
If the broken or cracked tooth exposes the root, a root canal procedure may be necessary to repair and save the tooth. The dentist preforms this procedure under local anesthetic and will remove all the infected tissue. During the procedure, the dentist removes infected or damaged pulp from inside of the tooth, then cleans and seals it.
Dental Filling
A dental filling can fix a broken tooth, depending on the severity of the break. Such as in cases where the break is minor and does not affect the structure of the tooth too significantly. However, if the break is more severe, a simple filling will not do the job. Dr. Sowell and Dr. Chen use a tooth-colored filling compound that will seamlessly blend in with your tooth.
Dental Bonding
Tooth bonding involves using a tooth-colored composite resin compound to fill in the crack. The dentist shapes the bonding to recreate the missing part of the tooth enamel. Bonding can restore the tooth’s shape, size, and function. However, like a dental filling, bonding is NOT for more severe cases of tooth damage.
Causes of Broken Teeth
A tooth can break or crack for many reasons. Although anyone can get a broken tooth, it usually happens to people over the age of 50. Causes include:
- Grinding or clenching teeth
- Large fillings that cause the tooth to become weak
- Chewing on hard foods such as hard candy or ice
- A bad bite that puts too much pressure on a tooth
- Trauma such as a car accident, fistfight, sports injury, or fall
Why Fix a Broken Tooth?
Broken teeth present cosmetic and oral health concerns. For example, a broken front tooth can cause someone to avoid smiling and having face-to-face conversations. It can cause embarrassment, self-confidence issues and affect a patients quality of life. Broken or cracked teeth are more susceptible to developing serious infections as well.
This infection can even spread to the bone and gums. Commonly called a tooth abscess, a tooth infection is painful, causing swelling, fever, and bad breath. Without treatment, you also have an increased risk of getting a tooth cavity. Severe infections and decay can eventually lead to tooth loss.
Repairing a broken tooth can help stabilize your oral foundation for a beautiful smile. How we treat a broken tooth depends on the location of the tooth and the severity of the damage. We can fix a small break in one visit.
A severely broken tooth may need multiple visits or a more extensive treatment plan. Our dentists will recommend the dental procedure that’s best for you and helps support your long-term oral health.