Broken Front Tooth? Here's What's Next

One of the most common dental emergencies our patients experience is a broken front tooth, which impairs your ability to speak and eat. Many people like to take care of this issue immediately due to the embarrassment associated with the dental injury.

In most cases, a broken front tooth is often the results of trauma, as opposed to a decaying tooth. While a broken tooth sounds simple, there are a various types of trauma which can occur and each has its own treatment options.

The following are the main types of trauma which results in a missing tooth:

• Broken tooth – This occurs when a significant piece of the tooth is chipped or knocked out, typically exposing its roots and pulp. A person with a broken tooth may experience moderate to severe pain. If left untreated, broken teeth can lead to substantial pain, swelling, infection, and a potential medical emergency.
• Loose tooth – If your tooth remains intact, but a little lose, that doesn’t mean you are out of trouble. You may have damage to the root or your tooth may have been pushed into your jaw, so it’s imperative to seek emergency dental treatment.
• Knocked out tooth – It causes the most bleeding out of all three traumas. Apply pressure to the area in order to stop the bleeding. If it doesn’t stop bleeding within 30 minutes, go to the emergency room. If you find your knocked out tooth, place it in milk (or water or saliva if milk is not readily available) to preserve it until you are able to visit the dentist.

Once the x-rays of the affected area are taken to figure out the seriousness of the situation, your dentist will formulate a treatment plan for temporary and permanent solutions depending on the severity of the injury. Each situation varies, but if the original tooth is saved, the dentist will attempt to save it. If the broken tooth cannot be saved, the dentist will discuss your available options for short and long term tooth replacement, such as bridge, crown, implant, or partial denture.

If you are experiencing a dental emergency, schedule an appointment with our Austell dentist at Austell Dental Associates today.