Broke A Tooth? Know Your Options To Fix It

Posted on: 24 December 2018

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Were you eating food and suddenly bit down on something hard, causing a tooth to break? If so, you may be wondering what your options are to fix it. Here are 4 ways a dentist can help you deal with that broken tooth.

Bonding

If the majority of the tooth's structure is still there, a dentist may try to save the tooth with dental bonding. This means that they will recreate the parts of the tooth that are missing with a special dental cement, and reshape the tooth so that it looks natural. The bonding material will be the same color as your teeth, so it should blend in perfectly.

Be aware that dental bonding will not last forever, and the tooth may break again. This can be a quick fix for a tooth with minimum damage, which will buy you time until a future operation is necessary.

Crown

Another option is to file down the remaining parts of the tooth to put a dental crown over it. This can give the tooth some great stability so that you can continue using it just like a real tooth, and not worry about the crown breaking unexpectedly in the future from normal eating. This procedure is ideal for those that still have enough of the tooth remaining to make it work.

Bridge

If there is very little left of the tooth, your dentist may recommend a dental bridge. It works by supporting a fake tooth between two healthy teeth, by playing two crowns over those teeth to support a fake tooth between them. Some patients do not like this procedure because it involves filing down healthy teeth that surround the broken tooth in order to place the dental bridge. However, it is minimally invasive and can provide results that last a long time.

Implant

The solution that will provide the most stability and longest lasting results is a dental implant, and will be an option if the broken tooth is not salvageable. The dentist places a titanium post into the jawbone to support a dental crown. It takes several months for the post to heal, but once it does, it creates a bond that is just as strong as a natural tooth. An implant has the potential to last your entire life without any complications, since it requires no special care other than regular brushing and flossing to fight off gum disease.

For more information, reach out to a dentist that offers cosmetic dentistry services.