Broken Tooth? Here Are Your Options

Did you know that about 64,000 cases of construction workplace injury-causing accidents take place in the United Kingdom every year? Indeed, this shows how this particular industry has some of the most hazardous work environments out there.

But while the above-mentioned is indeed concerning, here’s something even more surprising:

More accidents happen in the home than in any other place. And while many of these are non-fatal, they do cause serious injuries.

One of which is the dreaded broken tooth.

And yes, when one or several of your teeth break, it’s something you need to address right away. Because such injuries can result in far more severe issues than just broken tooth pain. Think tooth decay, infections, and even tooth extraction!

Worry not, as we’re here to help. In this post, we’ll delve more into teeth breakages and your options on what to do when this happens.

How Does a Broken Tooth Happen in the First Place?

Understanding how a tooth can break and the kind of damage it can sustain is key to getting the right treatment. And knowing why you need to have it repaired ASAP.

Let’s talk about how breakages happen in the first place.

A fall is a likely reason why your tooth broke off at the gumline. How can we say that?

Because falls are some of the leading causes of dental injuries, including broken teeth. In fact, it’s the leading reason for all major, non-fatal injuries amongst employees throughout the nation. It costs the economy about ?1.1 billion every year.

When someone falls and hits their face against something hard, such as the floor, the extreme force can easily knock out a tooth. Even if it doesn’t, it’s still likely to lead to either chipping, breaking, or loosening of the tooth/teeth.

If not a fall, then an accident while playing sports may have led to your teeth issues. Perhaps you may have been in a traffic accident that resulted in your receiving a blow to the face. In any case, any trauma to the face can cause the teeth to sustain these damages.

Whichever the reason behind your broken tooth, it’s important you have a licensed dentist diagnose the issue right away. Prompt diagnosis and treatment of teeth breakage can make all the difference between losing a natural tooth or preserving all your permanent teeth.

What Kind of “Breakage” Teeth May Develop

If you didn’t completely knock a tooth out, then it may have suffered from either chipping or cracking. Worse, both.

Here’s the difference between the two:

Chipped Tooth

With a chipped tooth, pain may not arise right away. Unless the damage is big enough to have exposed the nerves in the tooth’s inner layer. If the chip does expose these vital inner parts, one of the first symptoms you may experience is pain and tooth sensitivity.

You may have a broken cusp if the damage caused one of your back teeth’s pointed chewing surfaces breaking off. This chipping, although not painful most of the time, still needs prompt treatment. Because if it doesn’t further damage can occur.

Worse, the entire teeth may just decay. And when this occurs, you have fewer chances of restoring it. You may even have to have the tooth removed before it causes infection.

Cracked Tooth

The severity of a cracked tooth depends on how heavy the blow to your mouth was. In some cases, that crack may only have affected the enamel, the outermost layer of the tooth. But in many other situations, “cracking” affects even the tooth’s roots.

Cracked tooth often causes pain during chewing. Temperature changes also make the affected tooth and its surrounding area sore or even painful.

Whether you have a chipped or a cracked tooth, you need to schedule an appointment with a dentist ASAP. It’s only a matter time before that pain worsens. And before the affected tooth starts to decay, which can lead to gum infection and even a possible extraction.

Repairing the Damages

You have quite a few options when it comes to taking care of a broken tooth, whether a chipped front or a broken molar.

Veneers, bonding, and dental crowns are three of the most popular and effective.

Veneers

A veneer is one of your best treatment options because it can restore a broken tooth and make it appear that nothing happened.

In this case, the dentist will create a very thin shell which then cover the entire affected tooth. No need to worry about the colour, as veneers use tooth-coloured materials. In addition to resolving the chip or crack issue, it also helps improve the entire appearance of the affected tooth.

Dentists use two primary types of materials when creating these shells: Resin composite and porcelain. You might want to opt for porcelain veneer since its colour is far nearer to that of natural teeth. And, it also has better resistance against staining.

Dental Crowns

If a veneer is a shell, then a dental crown is more like a cap. You have many materials to select from, including porcelain similar to that used in veneers. Metal, such as gold and chromium are also some of your options.

Dental crowns can bring numerous wonders, from fixing teeth breakages to protecting weakened teeth. They also work great as a “support” to dental bridges. If you have a misshapen tooth or severe staining, a crown is also a great option.

Bonding

Tooth bonding is a common alternative to a veneer. It also covers a broken tooth, although in this case, the tooth-coloured material used consists of composite resin. The dentist then “bonds” the material to the affected tooth through adhesive and curing light.

Ready to Have that Damaged Tooth Repaired?

If so, then please feel free to ring us up! Our dental office can help you choose the right treatment for your broken tooth, whether you wish to go for a veneer, crown, or bonding.