Categories: Restorative Dentistry

Can a Broken Tooth Be Saved?

Dealing with a broken tooth? Read on to learn about how a dentist can help. A broken tooth is one of those injuries that tend to occur at the worst possible times. You’re having fun one second, and your tooth is broken the next. It might be a tasty treat you bite into, a fall, or a blow to the face that does the job. Fortunately, there are multiple ways a dentist can go about saving a broken tooth.

How a dentist saves a broken tooth

One broken tooth is enough to ruin the way your smile looks regardless of how healthy the rest of your teeth look. It also puts your oral health at risk since food particles and bacteria can become lodged in the crevices created by the damage. Some of a tooth’s enamel also comes off when its structures become damaged. Enamel being lost increases the risk of the tooth becoming damaged by decay.

The treatment recommended by a dentist for a broken tooth depends on the severity of the damage to the tooth. Some of the ways a dentist might opt to fix a damaged tooth include:

1. Composite bonding

This treatment involves using a composite resin made from mixtures of glass and plastics to rebuild and repair damaged teeth. The composite is matched with the shade of the patient’s teeth, so any repairs made do not stand out.

Composite bonding is a non-invasive procedure that does not require permanent alterations to the patient’s tooth. The procedure can be completed in as little as 45 minutes, and it is typically recommended for minor damage that does not affect a tooth’s pulp chamber.

2. Crowns

Crowns are typically recommended for moderate to severe breaks. The crown helps to hold what’s left of the tooth together, and it protects it from the bite forces generated while chewing. Placing a crown on a tooth involves removing enamel from its sides, so the crown fits snuggly on it. It is a permanent alteration that cannot be reversed in the future. This means the prepared tooth will always need a crown on it to serve as its artificial enamel.

Crowns also restore the aesthetics of damaged teeth, and they can be matched with the color of the patient’s other teeth.

3. Root canal

Root canal therapy is recommended when damage to a tooth reaches its pulp chamber. The chamber holds nerves, connective tissues, and blood vessels. It is sealed off from the rest of the tooth to protect the soft tissues from acids and bacteria in the mouth. Severe damage to a tooth can leave this area open, making the soft tissues in the pulp chamber vulnerable to infection.

A root canal is used to remove the soft tissues in the pulp chamber and seal the area back up.