Broken tooth pain can be debilitating and leave you unable to function. With a dentist open on Sunday, however, you have no reason to put off treatment. Broken tooth repair by your dentist may actually help you save the tooth. Whether your kids get knocked around in sports or you have a quirky accident, rely on the team at Dentist in the Bronx, NY for your emergency dental needs.
There is probably no worse feeling than when you realize the strange thing you feel in your mouth is actually a piece of your tooth. Even though enamel is the hardest and most mineralized tissue of your body, it has limits. And if your tooth already has some decay, it’s easier for your tooth to break. The most common ways your tooth can break include:
- You’ve suffered facial trauma or a blow to your mouth
- You’ve bitten down on something hard
When you realize you’ve broken a tooth, remember not to panic. Broken tooth pain doesn’t have to ruin your week or your weekend. The top dentists in the Bronx — also a Saturday and Sunday dentists — is devoted to your dental needs seven days a week.
Now What?
Get to your dentist as soon as possible. The sooner you seek treatment, the better your orthodontist can prevent serious consequences. Neglecting your broken tooth can lead to your tooth becoming infected or developing an abscess. Antibiotics are used to combat infections, but prompt treatment can prevent an infection altogether.
The treatment you receive depends entirely on the type of break and the severity of the break. With rapid treatment, you can avoid worse situations including the following:
- Pulling the tooth
- Extreme tooth pain
- Root canal
Fixing Your Tooth
Your broken tooth repair depends on how badly your tooth is cracked and damaged. If it’s only a small break or chip, the simple repair is completed in a single visit. If your tooth is severely broken, you have to decide if you want to have an extraction or save the tooth through more extensive and costly treatments. Your options for broken tooth repair include:
- Dental filling or bonding is a method your dentist may choose for broken tooth repair if you have a small break or chip. If the chip is in the front of your tooth, bonding material can fill in the chip and keep your tooth looking natural, as the bonding material is a tooth-colored composite resin. It’s a simple procedure that may not even require numbing your tooth.
- Dental caps and crowns are a better option if your break is more severe or your tooth has a substantial amount of decay. Your remaining tooth is filed down into a peg. Once your tooth is free of decay and properly shaped, the cap or crown is fit directly onto your tooth like a glove. Getting a crown typically requires two visits. If the crown is going to be placed in front, you may prefer to spend a little more for a porcelain crown, which better matches your natural teeth color and resists stains.
- Dental veneers are thin hard shells of tooth-colored porcelain or resin composite. The veneer covers the entire front surface of your tooth, much in the same way as a fake nail covers a fingernail. And your veneer has a thicker section to build up and reinforce your broken tooth.
- Root canal therapy may be necessary if your break is bad enough to expose the pulp of your tooth. Your pulp is the soft center of your tooth that houses your blood vessels and nerves. If bacteria come into contact with the pulp, infections are likely and your pulp tissue can die. If you don’t seek treatment, your tooth may require extraction. A root canal removes the dead pulp, cleans the root canal, and then seals it. Teeth with root canals aren’t as strong as the rest of your teeth and generally require crowns to provide that extra strength.
Ouch!
Broken tooth pain is serious. It impacts your life because it hurts to eat, talk and sometimes even breathe. Until you’re able to be seen by your dentist — even when you’re lucky enough to have a dentist open on Saturday — take precautions:
- Over-the-counter pain medication can help ease your pain.
- If your broken tooth has a sharp or broken edge, you can cover it with a piece of wax or sugarless gum to keep it from cutting your tongue or cheek.
- Try eating only soft foods and avoiding your broken tooth as much as possible.
Don’t allow broken tooth pain to dictate your life. Take control of the situation and be proactive to ensure your continued dental health. The nature of your injury and how long you wait to seek treatment contribute to your broken tooth repair options. The best dentist in the Bronx is ready to treat your broken tooth and ease your pain. A dentist open on Saturday and a dentist open on Sunday truly cares about you and your family.
Do you have any questions about broken tooth repair? Would you like more information or to schedule an appointment with the best dentist in the Bronx, NY? Please contact our dental practice for a consultation with dental specialist Farzin Farokhzadeh, DDS.