What happens if you leave a broken tooth?
Comparatively speaking, a broken tooth is not as crucial as other oral complications such as gum disease, tooth loss, or even oral cancer. However, this simple situation can go sideways quickly. By postponing treatment and neglecting your symptoms can easily cause the condition to accelerate and worsen with time. Pain is not the only symptom of a broken tooth, and the broken tooth could require far more extensive treatment. Your dentist understands the results of an untreated broken tooth and will provide the proper and necessary repair treatment for your personal situation. To help you understand the importance and urgency of getting immediate dental treatment for a broken tooth, here are a few points to help you determine the severity of your broken tooth.
The Causes for a Broken Tooth
What causes a broken tooth to happen? Even though tooth enamel is some of the hardest substance found in your body, they can still be damaged and broken. Some of the common and frequent reasons can be:
- Accidentally hitting your mouth or face, especially in a sporting activity.
- An unexpected and unscheduled fall.
- A large dental filling for a cavity that weakens the tooth substantially.
- An untreated cavity that is weakening the tooth.
- Consistent bruxism, which is the clenching and grinding of your teeth.
- Using your teeth as tools, biting fingernails and hard objects.
- Biting down on hard food.
Leaving a cracked or broken tooth untreated can quickly cause the pulp at the center of the tooth, which is full of nerves and blood vessels, to become infected. If the tooth has become infected, the chances of now losing that tooth will increase dramatically. The sooner you seek out proper dental treatment, you increase your chances of preventing further advancement of the chip, or crack, alleviating any pain, and most importantly, saving the damaged tooth.
The Treatment for a Broken Tooth
Unlike some other oral conditions that can be treated with at home remedies, a broken tooth does require the immediate professional attention of your dentist. As soon as you experience pain that varies in intensity as you are biting or clenching, and sensitivity increase with hot and cold temperatures, it is strongly suggested you seek immediate attention to get the broken tooth both repaired and restored.
Your dentist will begin by examining the tooth, your gums, and taking an x-ray to identify the health of the tooth under the gumline. Once the issues have been identified by your dentist the tooth can be effectively treated. If the tooth is cracked or chipped some simple dental bonding can quickly restore the tooth. If the pulp has become infected a root canal procedure most likely becomes necessary, followed up with a dental crown to protect the remains of the natural tooth. The final option might be to extract the tooth. Your dentist will always exercise all methods possible to retain a natural tooth. If an extraction is the only solution your dentist will explain restoration options to replace the tooth, such as a traditional dental bridge or a dental implant.