A chipped, broken, or cracked tooth can create tooth pain and discomfort. If you have a damaged tooth in the front of the mouth, it can impact the look of your smile. Treating a damaged tooth immediately can prevent further tooth damage. Immediate treatment for a broken tooth can also create a more even look. At Coastal General Dentistry, we treat patients with broken teeth in Virginia Beach, VA.
Broken teeth are dental concerns for many patients, whether they have a small tooth chip or a large fracture. Treating broken teeth can prevent the spread of tooth damage or pain.
What Causes Tooth Damage?
There are many common reasons why you may have tooth damage:
- Teeth clenching and grinding: Stress or anxiety can lead to teeth clenching and grinding. Often, you can grind your teeth when asleep or unconsciously during the day. Over time, teeth grinding will wear down teeth.
- Dental trauma: A sudden dental injury can chip, crack, fracture, or break a tooth. Playing sports makes you more likely to damage a tooth, so you must wear a custom mouthguard during contact sports.
- Infection: Tooth infections can create holes in the teeth called cavities. Cavities allow harmful bacteria to enter the tooth and damage it further.
How do I know if I need to treat a broken tooth?
If you have a large break in your tooth and feel pain, you need dental care. Small chips in the tooth may not require dental care. Our dentist will monitor a small chip or crack to see if it changes.
How to Treat Broken Teeth in Virginia Beach, VA
We will refer you to a local dentist for restorative and cosmetic dental care if you have a broken tooth:
- Porcelain Veneers: Dental veneers are ultra-thin shells that a dentist bonds to the front of a tooth. Veneers can cover one or more teeth in the smile line or the teeth that show when you smile.
- Dental Bonding: Tooth bonding uses tooth-colored resin to add structure to chipped and broken teeth. Bonding is a more economical alternative to veneers. Unlike veneers, bonding can treat teeth in the front and back of the mouth.
- Dental Crowns: Tooth crowns are caps that fully cover single teeth. Dental crowns are restorations that use metal, porcelain, or zirconia to strengthen single teeth. Crowns are best for larger fractures and breaks. Dental crowns can also stabilize teeth after a root canal.
- Inlays and Onlays: Also known as partial crowns, inlays and onlays cover the top of a tooth. An inlay covers the chewing surface between the cusps or sides of the tooth. Onlays cover the chewing surface and the tooth’s sides. Like crowns, inlays and onlays are separate tooth-colored pieces a dentist bonds to the tooth.
Do You Need to Remove a Damaged Tooth?
Our dental office can provide tooth extractions to remove severely damaged teeth. If harmful bacteria enter a damaged tooth, it can infect the dental pulp. The pulp is the cells, blood vessels, and nerves that keep teeth alive. We will recommend a root canal before an extraction if we can save a tooth. During a root canal, we remove infected pulp within the tooth, clean the tooth chamber, and seal the tooth.
If a tooth is severely damaged but not infected, we may remove it to prevent further pain and damage. A jagged break in a tooth can damage soft tissues in the mouth. Additionally, a break in a tooth can extend below the gum line and affect the tooth root. Sometimes, removing a broken tooth in our Virginia Beach, VA, office is the best option to prevent complications.
Broken Teeth FAQs
Discover more about broken teeth with answers to these questions about tooth damage:
Can you prevent tooth damage?
Yes, it’s possible to prevent tooth damage. Do not use your teeth to open objects. Additionally, do not chew on ice. You can chip or crack your tooth.
If you play sports, wear a custom mouthguard. A mouthguard will cover your teeth to prevent dental injuries.
Why do I feel a throbbing pain in my broken tooth?
It’s possible to feel a throbbing pain if a break in your tooth exposes bacteria to your tooth’s nerves. If a break is deep enough, it can expose nerves in the middle of your tooth to harmful bacteria. As these bacteria reach the nerves, you feel throbbing pain.
When is a broken tooth a dental emergency?
You will require emergency dental care if you have a large break in your tooth. A large tooth fracture needs professional care. Emergency dental care will prevent damage to other teeth and possible infection.
If you have a large break in your tooth, rinse your mouth with warm water. Place a cold compress on the outside of your mouth or cheek. You can bring the chipped piece of your tooth to our office for repair.
However, you can wait to schedule an appointment if you have smaller chips or breaks.
Why should you treat a damaged tooth?
Treating a damaged tooth can prevent tooth sensitivity and pain. It can also prevent tooth decay and further tooth or gum damage. When you damage a tooth, contact a dentist for treatment. Early treatment will prevent complications and reduce pain.
What happens if a tooth breaks in half?
Sometimes, a dentist can bond the broken pieces back together. A dentist can also cover the broken tooth with a crown. However, if this is not possible and the break is too large, a dentist may remove the tooth.
Can you fix a broken tooth at home?
No, it’s not possible to fix a broken tooth by yourself. Do not try to use any materials to try and fix your tooth. You can damage your tooth further. The best thing you can do if you break a tooth is to contact a dentist. You can rinse your mouth at home, use a cold compress, and take pain medication as needed.
Call Our Dental Office To Fix Your Tooth
Do you have a broken tooth? Call Coastal General Dentistry to treat broken teeth in Virginia Beach, VA, at 757-216-9914. You can also schedule a dental appointment online. Please let us know if you have questions about fixing tooth damage; we’re here to help.