Broken Tooth
No matter the circumstances, a broken tooth is a dental emergency. Even if you’re not in pain or the break seems minor, delaying a visit to your dentist can lead to serious oral health problems. Contact Bethesda Family Dental in Bethesda, MD, right away for immediate dental repairs.
What to Do If You Have a Broken Tooth
Whether you have a broken molar, a damaged filling, a broken crown, a cracked veneer, or a broken front tooth, here are some facts to keep in mind.
- No need to panic: A damaged tooth is a problem, but if you contact your dentist right away and get emergency dentistry, everything will work out fine.
- But don’t be indifferent: Take every broken tooth seriously to avoid greater complications. Even a small break in a seemingly inconsequential tooth demands a call to your dentist.
- Don’t discount pain (or lack thereof): A broken tooth may not cause pain. This doesn’t mean that the problem isn’t severe. All dental damage is significant and requires professional care.
Possible Causes of a Broken Tooth
Sometimes you know exactly what caused your broken tooth. Sometimes it’s unclear why the problem occurred. All you need to recognize is that there is broken enamel or a broken restoration and your dentist needs to know about it right away so they can help you.
Teeth are strong, but they are still vulnerable in certain circumstances. The below are all possible causes of a broken tooth:
- Hit to the mouth: Get hit with an elbow or ball in a sporting event? Maybe your child accidentally hit you in the mouth with a toy. All it takes is the right hit to the wrong tooth to break it immediately.
- Teeth grinding: Chronic teeth grinding, also known as sleep bruxism, damages the teeth night after night. Eventually, tooth enamel can become weak in places and break – cosmetic or restorative dentistry can be damaged too.
- Old dental work: Dental work is made to last but every restoration ages. A tooth-colored filling or dental crown can break after a few decades and require repairs.
- Biting down wrong: Teeth are meant for biting and chewing food. Using teeth as a tool or crunching down on hard candy or ice can lead to a broken or cracked tooth in an instant.
Emergency Dental Care for a Broken Tooth
When a tooth is broken, it’s not just a cosmetic problem. Oral health complications can escalate quickly when the tooth is open to food particles and bacteria. When you see your Bethesda dentist for a repair, be prepared for any following common treatments:
- Tooth-colored filling: If you’re lucky and you have only a minor break in your tooth, a composite filling can stabilize the tooth structure and prevent further damage.
- Porcelain crown: A customized crown protects the entire tooth, delivering full coverage that can’t be fixed by a filling.
- Inlay or onlay: When you need more than a filling but less than a crown to fix a broken tooth, these repairs are the ideal stabilizer.
- Tooth bonding: A simple, non-invasive repair, tooth bonding is ideal for cosmetic breaks and takes only about 30 minutes per tooth to complete the treatment.
- Tooth extraction: If a tooth is so badly broken that it can’t be saved, tooth extraction is necessary. This measure is always a last resort, but if you do lose your tooth it can eventually be replaced with a dental implant or bridge.
Emergency Dentistry in Bethesda for a Broken Tooth
If you have a broken tooth of any severity, immediately contact Bethesda Family Dental for an emergency dental appointment. There is no time to waste so your oral health doesn’t suffer from additional complications.
