Breaking a tooth leads to pain and suffering, certainly. However, if your broken tooth is one visible when you smile, it also causes some embarrassment. Naturally, you want the tooth repaired quickly with natural-looking results. What are the best methods for fixing broken teeth?
How and Why Teeth Break
Broken teeth happen. It’s just a fact of life. However, when your tooth breaks, it can feel almost traumatic. This proves particularly true when a front tooth breaks, leaving a gap or flaw in your otherwise healthy smile.
Human teeth are undoubtedly strong. However, they often aren’t strong enough for biting ice, popcorn kernels, hard candies, or other hard foods. They also break during trauma, such as a sports injury or fall. Some people even break teeth when eating soft foods by merely biting down incorrectly or abruptly.
Seeing your dentist is the right move no matter which tooth broke or whether it’s causing you pain. You should make an appointment to visit your dentist for a checkup. During this visit, the dentist assesses the damage and makes recommendations for repair. In other cases, you need urgent care through your dentist’s emergency dental services.
Methods for Fixing Broken Teeth
When you visit your dentist for a broken tooth, what recommendations can you expect? What are some of the methods for fixing broken teeth?
Common methods for fixing broken teeth include:
- Fillings
- Crowns
- Bonding
- Root canal therapy
- Dental implants
- Veneers
Fillings strengthen your broken tooth and restore about 98% of its durability. This single-visit tooth repair solution provides one of the most common methods for broken teeth repair treatment. A similar solution to a filling is a crown, like a cap placed over your damaged tooth. A crown adds a natural appearance while also providing strength and protection for a broken tooth.
Dental bonding fixes small breaks in teeth. Your dentist covers the broken area and builds it up to a natural-looking surface replacement using bonding material. Another type of dental covering for a broken tooth is a veneer. Veneers give your tooth a natural, unbroken appearance when breaks occur on front teeth.
A root canal treats your tooth when the break affects the pulp or causes severe pain. This therapy maintains the shell of your natural tooth while removing the pulp inside it.
When your tooth must undergo extraction, the damage is beyond repair. This means you must decide on a tooth replacement method. Options include bridges and dental implants. Implants are today’s most advanced method of durable, long-lasting tooth replacement.
Care for Your Teeth to Prevent Breaks
Preventing a broken tooth is one reason why you need to maintain proper daily oral hygiene. You also need to visit your dentist twice each year to keep your teeth strong and healthy. Dental services to look for when finding a dentist include:
- General dentistry
- Cosmetic dentistry
- Invisalign and veneers
- Dental bridges
- Implant restoration
- Chipped teeth repair
