What To Do if You Have a Broken Front Tooth
Posted on 3/7/2022 by Northstar Dental |
Breaking a front tooth is one of the most traumatic dental injuries. A broken front tooth hinders your ability to eat and speak, and there's also the shame of missing such an important part of your smile. The period immediately following the break or loss of a front tooth necessitates prompt judgments based on good knowledge.
Status of Your Broken Front Tooth
Did you realize that teeth can sustain concussions? A tooth concussion is another term for a loose tooth caused by a blow to the mouth. It is usually accompanied by mild to severe discomfort and bleeding. If your tooth is still intact but somewhat loose, you may consider yourself fortunate to have avoided the worst-case scenario. That may be correct, but it does not imply that you can sit back and rest. Depending on the force of the blow, the tooth may have been damaged to the root or forced inside your jaw, neither of which is apparent to you. As a result, it's critical to seek emergency dental care as quickly as possible after sustaining a concussion. A fractured tooth happens when a significant portion of the tooth is knocked out, exposing the roots and pulp. This will seem as a combination of white, black, and red patches. If you break a tooth, you will most likely be in moderate to severe pain and will want to visit a dentist as soon as possible. Broken teeth, if left untreated, can cause extreme pain, infection, swelling, and even a medical emergency. A totally knocked-out tooth, also known as a dental avulsion, will cause the greatest bleeding of the three traumas. Apply pressure on the area to halt the bleeding, just as you would with any other wound. If the bleeding does not stop within 30 minutes, or if you have a history of clotting issues following an accident, go to the emergency department. If you can discover the tooth, soak it in milk (or water or saliva if milk isn't available) until you can get to the dentist. Avoid touching or attempting to scrape the tooth's root.
What to Expect at the Dentist for a Dental Emergency
In most cases, the dentist will take X-rays of the damaged region to establish the severity of the condition, and then design a treatment plan for both temporary and permanent remedies based on the degree of the injury. Each case is unique, but if the original tooth can be salvaged, the dentist will typically endeavor to do so. If the front tooth is fractured, it may be splinted to the teeth on either side to help stabilize it while it heals. In the case of an avulsed tooth, the dentist may attempt to reinsert the tooth. If the tooth can be reinserted, this is the best-case scenario. Nonetheless, anticipate the dentist to schedule a few follow-up sessions to check the tooth's recovery. If the fractured front tooth cannot be salvaged, the doctor will go over your short and long-term tooth replacement choices with you. A crown, bridge, implant, or partial denture are examples of these.
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