Broken Teeth

One of the most common things we see in our office is cases of broken teeth. Some patients may experience a broken tooth from a fall or from contact in a sport. For others a broken tooth may come from simply biting into something hard to trying to break something with your teeth. Some patients may be more susceptible to a break if they have low calcium levels. Poor oral hygiene can also make teeth more prone to breaking.
Many times people will have a tooth with a small break or fracture that will cause little to no pain. The issue with such breaks is that the tooth become unstable and can later cause severe damage. For those who do experience greater pain with a break this is often a result of the nerve being exposed.
Treatment for broken teeth varies based on the injury. Treatment is of utmost importance to maintain your oral structure and to allow you to do things such as smile, talk and eat. Another important reason to have treatment is due to the fact that broken teeth have also been known to cause decay faster which can lead to other serious medical conditions such as hypertension.
There are a number of treatments available for broken teeth and each depends on the severity of the break and nerve damage.
Generally, if the damage is solely to the outer surface of the tooth this can be fixed by simply polishing and smoothing the tooth back to normal. For those with small breaks a porcelain filling is often used to fill in the break, the tooth is often then polished and smoothed to return to the normal state.
Incases where the edges of the tooth are severely damaged often times Dr. Erickson will choose to use a crown to reinforce the existing tooth. However, if the tooth has severe nerve damage than many times a root canal is performed to clean the tooth and protect it from decay. Once the root canal is complete then a crown can be fitted.
If the root is so damaged that it needs removal, then a titanium post can be planted to replace and serve as a root for the tooth. If needed a crown can also be attached to the titanium post as an artificial but natural-looking tooth.
These treatment options are all discussed further with patients who present with broken teeth. It is Dr. Erickson’s goal to have you as a partner in your care. Our team wants you to be informed and be apart of making the best decision for you.