Posted: April 14, 2021
A broken tooth is usually unexpected and uncomfortable for people. When a tooth breaks, it is easy to start panicking; especially if it is a front tooth that presents cosmetic dental concerns. As a patient, it is best to slow down and take a look at the fractured piece. There are questions that your dentist will ask.
The first questions is how much of the tooth broke? Is it the size of a skittle or a M&M or is it much smaller? The size of the fractured piece dictates what type of treatment procedure will be necessary. For example, if the broken piece is half of your tooth in length or width, a crown may be needed. If the fractured piece is the whole tooth above the gumline, a dental extraction or root canal and post is possibly the treatment of choice. Check to see if the broken tooth is hardly noticeable from 6 feet away; if the tooth chip is minimal in size, then a dentist smoothing or filing the tooth could easily resolve the discrepancy in shape or form.
The second question is did the tooth hurt before it broke? If the tooth was a source of dental pain before the fracture, then a dental extraction and implant or a root canal and crown may be indicated. Sometimes, teeth have fracture lines or deep cavities that start hurting before the tooth breaks. The teeth in the adjacent image have varying fracture lines. If the fracture line is extensive, and the tooth needs a dental extraction, then a dental implant and crown is used to replace the missing tooth.
If you have any questions about a broken tooth, you can call us to discuss your dental concerns. We are located within few minutes of Downtown Fort Worth. And provide emergency and non emergency dental treatment to patients from Arlington, Keller, and Fort Worth areas.
