Even though tooth enamel is one of your body’s most challenging issues, it is not impervious to injury. Your teeth may become brittle and prone to fracture or break if the tooth enamel is sufficiently worn away.
If you know what to anticipate and how to handle a broken tooth, you can manage the issue well even before you visit your dentist.
Common Causes of Teeth Breakage
Teeth can break for a variety of reasons. Trauma, such as a head injury, can cause even healthy teeth to fracture or shatter. Many other reasons for tooth fracture are:
- Weak tooth as a result of prior dental treatment.
- Cavities can cause dental weakness.
- Wisdom teeth can occasionally break from their location and position
- Biting down on a hard object, such as ice.
- Your bite is out of alignment.
What Do Broken Teeth Look Like?
The same fundamental problem is involved with all tooth problems, whether they are split in half, have hairline fractures, or have chips in the front teeth. There might be missing pieces or a split tooth that seems to be fractured. When there is a vertical fracture in a tooth at the back or in between teeth, some people may not be able to perceive the whole break.
Is It a Dental Emergency?
Tooth breakage can appear in various ways, from a little scratch to a molar that broke off at the gum line. Even though your broken tooth seems trivial, it can signify a more significant issue that might cause more harm. Although a fractured tooth is not often an emergency, you should still visit the dentist as soon as possible to avoid issues that may arise.
Treating Broken or Fractured Teeth
If not fixed, even a little tooth chip might become more serious. To diagnose the damage and choose the best course of action, your dentist can do a thorough examination and take x-rays.
Here are some ways your dentist may treat broken teeth:
Polishing the Surface and Bonding
Dental bonding may fill in specific gaps, followed by further polishing to get the desired form. Even pieces of fractured teeth could be able to be reattached.
Using Fillings or Root Canals
More effort is necessary when a crack penetrates deeper than the tooth’s surface. At times this can be addressed with a clear tooth filling. However, a root canal would be necessary if the fracture reached the pulp.
Extraction and Surgery
Some situations can be more complicated, particularly when a molar is shattered. Molars have several roots. Thus it’s conceivable that only one of them is harmed by the fracture. In some situations, the dentist can conduct a hemisection or root amputation and save the remaining portion of the tooth.
Unfortunately, the only option in such cases is to remove a fractured tooth. The most frequent tooth extraction is for broken teeth or fractures extending below the gum line. The dentist will frequently recommend a dental implant to replace the lost tooth.
Can You Just Leave a Broken Tooth Untreated?
An infection or even further damage to the tooth might result from a broken tooth. You incur a higher chance of losing a tooth if you don’t treat a fractured tooth right away.
Infections can spread to other regions of your body, and the infected tooth may even harm the teeth next to it. It is crucial to get every chip and fracture evaluated by a dental specialist because of this.
Conclusion
Tooth breakage can be a painful and traumatic experience. However, most tooth breakage scenarios are simple to treat. The best course of action is to visit your dentist immediately, who will then decide how to fix the damage and save your tooth.
Are you looking for a dentist in Danvers, MA? Danvers Aesthetic Family Dentistry has a long-standing reputation for quality and comfortable dental care. Book your appointment today!