How to Fix Broken Teeth

Have you ever experienced a broken tooth? Maybe your tooth shattered in a dramatic and visible way; maybe you just suspect that some increased tooth sensitivity could be due to a fracture. Whether it was a chip, a fracture, or a full-on break, it’s never fun to deal with damaged teeth.

No matter what your problem is, we can help. There are different treatments to treat tooth damage of varying degrees of severity. Keep reading below to learn about the options you have for treating your broken teeth.

Causes of Broken Teeth

Broken teeth range from small fractures to completely shattered teeth. The most common cause of broken teeth is blunt trauma, tooth decay, teeth grinding, aging, and even eating the wrong foods can cause tooth damage. Fractures and breaks are most common in your front teeth and in your molars.

Repair Options

The best treatment for your broken tooth depends on the kind of break you’ve experienced and how severe the damage is. Before we decide how to proceed, we’ll do a thorough examination of your mouth and talk to you about all your options.

Below are a few of our most common tooth repair procedures.

Bonding

When you’ve chipped or broken your tooth and the break is clean, we can usually repair it through a process called bonding. When bonding a tooth, we use a composite resin material to fill in the space left by a missing piece of tooth. This composite material can be made to match the color and texture of your tooth so that it looks natural.

In some cases, it’s possible to reattach a broken tooth fragment. Depending on the size of the fragment and location of the break, we might be able to glue the broken piece back on.

Filling

You’re probably familiar with fillings as a solution for cavities. They can also be used to fix minor chips, especially when the damage is on the top surface of the tooth. The materials involved are similar to those used when bonding a tooth.

Crown

A crown is a cap placed on top of a damaged tooth. Crowns protect your natural tooth and restore its original appearance, which makes them a good option for people with a tooth that is badly damaged. Crowns make it easy to eat, talk, and smile without worrying about the feeling or appearance of a broken tooth.

When you get a crown, your dentist will reshape your original tooth to fit underneath the crown. It will be attached over your original tooth and create a natural, healthy look.

Root Canal

Root canals are recommended for patients who have infected teeth or whose tooth pulp is damaged. Your pulp is made up of all the connective tissue and blood vessels that are located in the center of your tooth.

Deep cracks can pose a risk to the health of your pulp, and simple fillings or composite bonds aren’t enough to address this problem. If you have a cracked tooth that is extremely sensitive or painful, it might mean that your pulp is infected. During a root canal treatment, your dentist will remove the infected pulp, clean the inside of your tooth, and seal it with a filling material.

In order to avoid future complications, your dentist will treat the cracked area of your tooth. We often add a crown for cosmetic reasons, too.

Implants

If your tooth shattered or a very large piece of it is broken off, it might be impossible to fix by bonding or applying a crown. In these cases, we will completely remove the tooth and replace it with a false tooth in the form of an implant.

Dental implants include a metal rod that is surgically inserted into your jaw and a fake tooth that is fit on top of that rod. Because they require surgery to install, they are very sturdy and natural-feeling. They are a great option for replacing a single broken tooth when your other teeth are still healthy and intact.

Veneers

Depending on the size and shape of your broken tooth, you might be a good candidate for veneers. Veneers fit on top of your existing teeth, which must be shaved down to accommodate the size and shape of the veneers. They are a natural-looking and permanent solution to a badly chipped tooth, and they can cover even more of your natural tooth than a crown can.

Tooth Shattered? Call Us Now!

As you can see, there are many options for addressing broken teeth. Whether your tooth shattered, split, or broke apart, our office is ready to help. At Mesa Street Neighborhood Dental & Implants, we’ll never keep you waiting for the care that you need!