At some point in your life, it is possible for one of your teeth to become fractured. This is a problem where the tooth breaks into multiple pieces, which can be due to old silver dental fillings, decay, biting on something hard, or even just having it happen randomly. Here are a few things to know about a fractured tooth and what to do about it.
Will A Fractured Tooth Hurt?
It is entirely possible to have a fractured tooth that you are not even aware of. This is because a fracture can happen to a part of the tooth that does not touch the nerve, meaning that a large chunk of the tooth simply breaks off. However, having a fractured tooth that doesn't hurt is not something that should be ignored. There is no layer of protective enamel on the fractured surface, which is more likely to cause decay.
How Is A Fractured Tooth Repaired?
There are several techniques that can be used to repair a fractured tooth. If the damage is small enough, a filling can be used to cover the fractured surface and give the tooth protection. The dentist will prepare the tooth to smooth out the surface, and then apply a resin material to the tooth.
However, large fractures are a bit more difficult to deal with. Your dentist may want to perform dental bonding, which essentially builds up a large portion of the tooth with resin material like a large filling. If the tooth is not stable enough to support bonding, then a crown can be used to cover the tooth with an artificial cap. In a major situation with a large fracture, the tooth may need to be pulled so that an implant is put in its place.
Do You Need To Recover The Fractured Portion of The Tooth To Fix It?
A dentist does not need the part of the tooth that broke off to fix a tooth fracture. However, it can help if the portion is large and recoverable. Rather than use a resin material, the dentist will reattach the broken portion of the tooth. If you cannot recover the fractured portion of the tooth or it broke into many pieces, then recovering those pieces is not necessary. The dentist is not going to be able to piece it together like a puzzle, and will simply use a resin material or another restorative dental option to fix it.
Every time you take a bite of food, you should be grateful for your healthy teeth! A tooth can lose its health and structure quickly once decay sets in. Luckily, if you visit your dentist for regular appointments, the decay should not get too serious before your dentist notices it and can do something about it. That "something" is applying a filling. On the other hand, if the decay progresses too long before it is caught, you may need a crown or even an extraction.
We want to keep our teeth, and we know you want to keep yours. That's why we created this website to teach you more about dentists and dental care. Enjoy!