What Should You Do about Broken Teeth?

Even though teeth are strong, sudden actions or accidents can make them chip, fracture, or break. Discover the best ways to treat chipped, fractured, or broken teeth.

Causes of Dental Damage

If you suddenly chip, fracture, or break your teeth, you’re not alone. A surprising number of people suffer this kind of dental damage. But everyone experiences it differently, based on the severity of one’s condition. Some people hardly feel a thing, while others have minor discomfort, major pain, or sudden sensitivity. The most common causes of chips, fractures, and breaks in teeth include:

• Biting down very hard on a food or substance
• Falling down and suffering an injury to the face or mouth
• A strong hit in the face, mouth, or jaw
• Deep decay from cavities that make the tooth very weak
• Old fillings that fail to support the tooth enamel

The Right Treatments for Fractured Teeth

Fortunately, there are many ways for your family dentist to repair chipped, fractured, or broken teeth. The treatment you receive will depend on the type and severity of the damage. Treatment typically consists of the following:

• Chipped teeth – These don’t always need treatment, but can be easily repaired by your family dentist, if desired.
• Small tooth cracks – Minor cracks in the tooth enamel are easy for your family dentist to polish away.
• Large tooth cracks – A deeper fracture that affects the entire tooth down to the nerve and eventually spreads. Cracked teeth typically call for a crown to keep the crack from worsening, but may require a root canal if the nerve is damaged.
• Broken teeth – These types of breaks only affect the pointed chewing surfaces of teeth. Your family dentist will usually fix the break with bonding or a crown.
• Bad breaks in teeth – Severely broken teeth cause the tooth’s nerve to be exposed and bleed, so these usually call for a root canal.

• Decay-induced breaks – Severe tooth decay can cause teeth to crumble or break. Your family dentist will need to review the degree of decay and will either repair the cavity or remove the tooth.

To get the dental care you deserve from an affordable dentist in Connecticut, contact Premier Dental of Connecticut today or make an appointment.