If you suffer a broken tooth, but you did not sustain an injury, you probably feel frustrated and a bit puzzled. In fact, you may not feel any pain. You may notice a broken tooth based on how it feels against the tongue. In some cases, a large filling or cavity can damage a tooth and cause a fracture. Other times, biting on something very hard, like a nut shell, bone, or metal utensil, will fracture a tooth.
Malocclusion could also be a factor. When the upper and lower teeth do not fit together properly, there is a tendency for teeth to interfere with each other when chewing and for bruxism (nighttime involuntary teeth grinding) to occur Sometimes, a fine web of fractures develops due to these forces over a tooth’s entire surface. This is called crazing.
Fractures, or cracks, may not be initially evident. You may not feel any discomfort at all. However, a cracked tooth is a broken tooth waiting to happen. Then, when teeth encounter pressure from chewing, swallowing, or biting, a piece of the fractured tooth breaks off. Commonly, breaks occur on the cusps of a molar’s biting surface or on the inner side of a molar, near the tongue. If you experience a broken tooth, you must see a dentist.
The damaged area is susceptible to tooth decay, and over time the tooth will most likely begin to hurt. Untreated cracks and chips can lead to teeth breaking off at the root, which is a painful condition that necessitates emergency root extraction.
New patients are always welcome at Beacon Family Dentistry in Jacksonville, FL. Dr. Lysandro Tapnio will compassionately and gently care for your fractured tooth to ease discomfort and restore or replace your tooth. With today’s materials and methods, there are often treatment options, which Dr. Tapnio will be help you understand. For urgent dental treatment, simply call (904) 641-0944.
