How can you tell if you have a fractured tooth?
If a tooth is fractured or cracked there are tell tale symptoms, including erratic pain when chewing, biting pressure, or pain when the fractured tooth is exposed to extreme temperature. The pain may not be constant which makes it more difficult for your Dentist to locate the cause, and your dentist may have difficulty locating which tooth is causing the discomfort
Can a child get a fractured tooth?
Fractured teeth are fairly common with children for a variety of reasons, such as biting down on hard candy, being hit in the mouth by a ball, teeth grinding or tooth decay. Teeth grinding is a big factor with adults as well and athletes can suffer fractured teeth from physical contact in sports.
How do you repair a fractured tooth?
Fractures may loosen or even displace the tooth and can cause the gums to bleed. To prevent the loose tooth from falling out completely, the dentist can splint the loose tooth by bonding it to the adjacent teeth to help stabilize it while the underlying bone and gums heal. This can cause a risk of pulp infection and a root canal may need to be performed. If not, the dentist may be able to calm the pain and allow the tooth to heal and wait a couple of weeks to determine if a root canal is needed. If the tooth is stable and seems to have recovered, the splint is removed and a filling or crown is placed to restore the fractured tooth. It will still need to be watched and checked out for further issues but, hopefully, you’ll be good to go.
See your dentist!
A sharp or broken tooth is a problem, even more so annoying and uncomfortable. If the fracture is small enough, sometimes we can repair it using a tooth-colored filling. For more severe fractures, we recommend a full coverage restoration called a dental crown. Both solution treatments are comfortable and beautiful. You will find that our recommendations are sensible and most of the time, can be started the same day you come in for examination. At Breezy Bay Dental of Palm Harbor, we are here to help you, please call us today at 727-781-GUMS (727-781-4867) and let’s get that fractured tooth repaired.