Cracked, broken, and chipped teeth can be a dental emergency, and you must call your dentist as early as possible. Contact Broadway Family Dental today and schedule an appointment with Dr. Ella Dekhtyar for expert dental care. Dr. Dekhtyar answers all your questions regarding your condition, the pain and discomfort you are experiencing and eases your mind about what you should do to fix the dental issue. She knows how to handle such a situation and uses the best restorative, cosmetic, and preventive procedures to repair damaged teeth to help you look and smile better.
A broken tooth is no less than a type of trauma as it causes pain, stops you from smiling confidently, and affects the way you eat or chew. A variety of factors can lead to cracked or broken teeth, ranging from accidental trauma to underlying dental issues, including eating hard foods like candy, an ice cube, falling accidents, tooth injury, or cavities.
Failure to seek professional treatment for a broken tooth can lead to intense pain and different oral health issues, such as tooth decay and infection. Modern dentistry offers the best solutions for treating cracked or broken teeth successfully. Your dentist will recommend the best one, depending on your teeth condition and extent of damage.
Read on to learn about some of the most popular restorative and cosmetic dental treatments for broken teeth.
Top Options to Fix a Broken Tooth
Some of the best treatment options include:
1. Crown
A dental crown is a cap placed over a damaged tooth that protects it and restores its shape, size, and strength. When you get a crown, it prevents you from losing your tooth. Without a crown, a damaged or broken tooth cannot withstand the pressure of chewing.
Crowns are made of metal, porcelain, and ceramic. They are thicker than veneers and fit over the damaged tooth’s remainder to create a natural, uniform look. Your dentist can recommend the right crown depending on the extent of protection your damaged teeth need. They are considered the safest and most convenient option for fixing decayed or damaged teeth, improving aesthetics at the same time.
2. Veneers
Veneers are thin, tooth-colored shells that act as covers for a tooth. They are the most cost-effective, popular cosmetic solution for fixing a broken tooth and restoring your smile. Created from porcelain or composite resin material, veneers fit the size and shape of your tooth. They not only fix small issues, such as a cracked tooth, a small gap between teeth, and discoloration but also add a layer of protection to the weakened, chipped tooth.
A veneer is bonded to the front surface of the tooth, addressing cosmetic issues and adding strength, transforming its appearance. You can have veneers placed on one tooth or more. With good care, veneers can last up to 20 years.
3. Dental Implants
If you have a crack in your tooth that extends till the gum line, your tooth is no longer treatable, and it will be extracted to prevent further tooth pain and damage. A dental implant is an extensive procedure in which your dentist will surgically place a titanium implant into the jawbone, to replace your natural tooth.
The implant serves as the new root for the missing tooth and provides a stable foundation for an artificial tooth or a crown. A crown is made to fit over the implant, fill the gap, and look like other teeth in your mouth.
Dental implants are a permanent solution for replacing decayed or damaged teeth. Meticulous oral hygiene and regular dental visits are critical to the long-term success of dental implants.
4. Bonding
Bonding is an effective way to repair chipped, cracked, decayed, discolored, misshapen, and gapped teeth. It is usually recommended if the chip or damage is on the front tooth or visible when smiling.
The dentist will first roughen your tooth and put a conditioning liquid. Tooth-colored putty is applied, molded, and smoothed. An ultraviolet light then hardens the composite to the tooth’s surface. Once dry, the bonding is shaped and polished to match the rest of the tooth.
It is considered the least involved dental procedure for repairing damaged teeth that enhances their appearance and function. Bonding can last up to 10 years if it is cared for properly.
5. Root Canal
If you have a crack in your tooth that has extended to the pulp, it can be treated with a root canal. This treatment repairs and saves a badly damaged or infected tooth from extraction. The procedure involves removing the damaged pulp and cleaning the space to prevent the infection from spreading. The dentist removes the nerve and seals the tooth with a plastic filling.
Afterward, a crown is placed to protect the crack and strengthen the tooth. Root canal treatment can also help protect other teeth in the mouth from infection and wear and tear.
6. Filling
A filling helps treat a small hole or cavity in a tooth. The dentist repairs the damage and fixes cracks or broken teeth using restorative material. Dental fillings can be made of white composite resin or silver amalgam. They repair minor fractures as well as worn, decayed, or damaged teeth, and restore them to their normal function and shape.
The dentist first removes the decayed tooth tissue and then fills the space with a filling material. Fillings are the safest and most convenient dental procedures for fixing broken teeth, painless, as well as cost-effective.
7. Dental Sealants
Sealants are ideal for fixing tooth holes and protecting infected and cracked teeth. They are a preventative measure, but can also be used to repair minor cracks. They act as a barrier against cavity-causing bacteria that damage your teeth.
The dentist places a dental sealant on the back side of your morals and premolars. The thin coating is applied to the chewing surface of the teeth to protect against decay.
Treatment for a broken tooth will depend on the size and location of the crack or break, or the intensity of pain you have. Even if your broken tooth does not require immediate medical attention, it is best to treat it as soon as possible. Leaving your broken tooth untreated can deepen the crack, and the tooth may fall out.
Is a Broken Tooth an Emergency?
A broken tooth is a dental emergency if you experience:
- Pain or bleeding
- A significant break beyond the tooth enamel
- A tooth that was completely knocked out
- A broken jaw as a result of dental trauma, such as severe impact
If you experience any of these, you should immediately reach out to an emergency dentist.
A broken tooth can be a serious issue that requires professional attention. If you have debilitating pain in your tooth and suspect a broken tooth, call Broadway Family Dental right away to schedule an appointment with our board-certified dentist, Dr. Ella Dekhtyar. She will examine your teeth carefully and recommend the best treatment options, tailored to your specific needs, to restore your smile and oral health within the shortest possible time. You can trust our experienced and trained team to suggest the best options to find relief from broken, painful teeth.
Broadway Family Dental
1152 Broadway
Brooklyn, NY 11221
(Bushwick, Williamsburg, Bedford-Stuyvesant)
(718) 455-4400