The enamel of your teeth, the hard outer shell, consists of durable minerals that allow your teeth to withstand wear and tear without issue as you bite and chew. But accidents can happen to the best of us, and under extreme pressure, a tooth might chip, crack, or fracture.
A broken tooth cannot heal on its own, and the injury can deepen or worsen without urgent dental treatment. Your dentist will need to take action to restore the tooth’s structure and health. Treatment for a fractured tooth will vary depending on the location and severity of the injury.
You can feel more confident as you seek treatment for your tooth when you know more about the dental work you may experience. Discover your options for treating a broken tooth when you read on.
Dental Crown Restoration
If you fracture a tooth, a dentist can treat the injury with a dental crown in many cases. The crown consists of a custom-made ceramic cap that fits over the surface of a tooth. Its position remains secure thanks to sealing with dental cement.
This crown will cover the tooth breakage, and its seal will ensure the injury will not worsen or cause additional harm. It also restores the protective layer by replacing the damaged enamel. It is strong enough to withstand the usual wear and tear your teeth endure so that you can enjoy typical oral function once more.
The durable material and seal of the crown will provide long-lasting restorative benefits. It can stay in place for about fifteen years when you take proper care of your smile and dental work.
But this type of dental treatment will only suit dental fractures that form on the cusp, the part of the tooth visible above the gumline. The crown can only cover the surface of the tooth.
If the crack or fracture also penetrates too deeply into the tooth’s enamel, you might need additional intervention from a dentist to properly fix the damage. A dentist can evaluate the extent of the injury with a dental x-ray.
Treatment for Severe Dental Fractures
Sometimes a fracture in a tooth extends below the gumline or cracks deeply in the tooth’s enamel. If this occurs, a dentist will not be able to access the injury to treat it properly. In many cases, a dentist must extract the broken tooth with a severe dental fracture like this.
A dentist might only need to remove the damaged part of the tooth, depending on the location of the fracture. But if a dentist does need to pull a tooth, you will also need to discuss tooth replacement treatments with your dentist.
Missing teeth can threaten your oral health in multiple ways. So you should ensure you seek full restoration for your smile after a tooth extraction by replacing the pulled teeth. Determine your eligibility for dental implants, a highly comprehensive tooth replacement solution, by booking a dental consultation.