If you’ve tripped and fallen flat on your face or suffered an accidental blow to the front of your face, you may be left wondering, ‘ can you fix a broken tooth?’
Although teeth are strong, they’re not indestructible. Consequently, when teeth
- are placed under excessive force
- receive a blow
- are left weak from tooth decay and cavities
they are likely to chip, crack, or break.
That’s the bad news.
The good news is that in most cases, a dentist can repair a broken tooth.
If you have a chipped, fractured or broken tooth, the first thing to do is contact an emergency dentist to give you treatment options such as dental crowns and other more dental procedure. Failing to do so could increase the chance of further damage to the tooth. A broken tooth can become infected, and eventually, you may lose the tooth.
How to fix a broken tooth at home?
Once you notice a damaged tooth, you can take a few measures to care or for tooth pain relief for it until you can get to see your emergency dentist.
- Rinse your mouth with saltwater and take over the counter painkillers like Ibuprofen to ease any discomfort
- If there are any sharp edges, cover them with sugarless chewing gum to prevent harming your tongue or soft tissues
- Switch to soft foods after the incident and try to avoid biting down or chewing with the broken tooth
How can you fix a broken tooth?
Possible dental treatments for fixing a damaged tooth include dental bonding, veneers, and inlays or onlays. However, the treatment you receive is likely to depend on how badly the tooth is damaged. Your dentist will assess the tooth and determine the best course of action. However, a dental crown is one of the most common treatments for a damaged tooth or broken tooth.
What are dental crowns?
Dental crowns are tooth-shaped ‘caps’ covering the whole tooth –the visible part above the gum line.
A dental crown protects the tooth from further damage, harmful bacteria, and anything that could cause pain, such as hot and cold temperatures, acid from food and drinks, and pressure.
Dental crowns are the most efficient and the most expensive of the broken tooth treatments we’ve mentioned. In many instances, dental crowns also require more treatment time. No matter the severity of the tooth damage, a dental crown will fix it and is usually recommended for all significant dental damage.
Modern-day dental crowns can be made from various materials, including all-porcelain, porcelain fused to metal, and even gold. Your dentist will colour match a porcelain dental crown to your natural tooth colour so that it blends seamlessly into your smile.
Besides repairing a broken tooth, a dentist will recommend a dental crown when you
- Have undergone root canal treatment, and your tooth has been left weak
- Have a cracked, crooked or worn down tooth
- Need to cover up a heavily stained tooth
- Have a cavity in a tooth that is too large to be filled
Fixing a broken tooth with a dental crown treatment
The dentist will examine the broken tooth to ensure a dental crown is an appropriate treatment. Having confirmed that to be the case, they will begin the repair process.
First, the dentist files down the top and sides of the damaged tooth to make room for the dental crown. When a significant amount of tooth is missing, the dentist may need to build up the tooth structure with filling material, so that there is enough for the dental crown to cover.
After reshaping the tooth, an impression is taken of the tooth to receive the dental crown. The impression is then sent to a dental lab to make the new crown. Don’t worry. The dentist will fit you with a temporary dental crown, so you are not walking around missing a tooth.
A second dental visit (some weeks later) is needed to install the permanent dental crown.
Some dentists (including No Gaps Dental) use on-site advanced CEREC technology to design, mill and install dental crowns in a single visit. When you need a quick fix for a broken tooth, this is the way to go!
If your entire tooth crown has fallen off, it’s still possible to fix the broken tooth, provided the jawbone, and gingival tissues are intact. The solution in this instance is a dental implant to support a prosthetic tooth or crown.
The dental implant procedure is surgical and involves placing a titanium post into the jawbone that acts as an artificial tooth root to anchor a false tooth securely in place.
So, now you have the answer to ‘can you fix broken tooth?’, there’s no need to panic if the worse happens. There is a solution!
Ways to prevent a damaged tooth
There are a few ways to avoid damaging or breaking a tooth:
- Do not use your teeth as tools to open plastic packaging or remove bottle tops
- If you knowingly grind and clench your teeth at night, wear a nightguard to prevent damage
- Avoid crunching on hard foods such as ice blocks
- Wear a mouthguard when playing contact sports
- Visit your dentist for bi-annual check-ups to keep your oral health in tip-top condition
Do you have a broken or damaged tooth?
If you need an emergency dentist to fix a broken tooth, look no further than No Gaps Dental. We make every effort to fit urgent cases in for same-day emergency treatment and with 15 clinics scattered around the Sydney metro area, there’s sure to be one near you.
Call us today on (02) 8806 0227.
Note: Any surgical or invasive procedure carries risks.