Broken teeth: What can be done to restore a tooth?

Teeth can break as a result of a direct or violent blow to the tooth during a fall or an accident. While a cracked tooth can only occur due to the appearance of a crack on the enamel, a broken or chipped tooth can lead to the partial or total loss of a crown.

The teeth most affected by such impacts are usually the incisors because of their position in the mouth and are therefore more vulnerable.

A broken tooth should be monitored by a dentist to assess if there is any impact beyond the tooth. It is also necessary to examine the tooth as a whole in order to understand which areas have been impacted. There are different kinds of enamel fractures that can affect the dentine until it reaches the tooth nerve.

A broken tooth may be more or less visible. It obviously alters the teeth alignment and uniformity.

Broken teeth: what are the causes?

The main cause of broken teeth is trauma. Direct impact, falls or a blow from a hard object can result in the breakage of part or all of the tooth. Both children and adults are susceptible to this type of trauma.

It is possible that teeth may break as a result of a significant grinding of the jaws. Repeated friction of the enamel causes fragility and can break part of the tooth.

In some cases, an intense and violent squeezing of the teeth may, under the force of the maxillary muscles, break one or more teeth. Also called clenching, this effect remains rare.

When a tooth is badly formed, it may not fit properly with the teeth on the opposite jaw. Repeated shocks can weaken the enamel and break the tooth.

Broken teeth: what treatments are available?

In order to regain a dazzling smile, it is possible to reconstruct the teeth. In the case of a partially broken tooth where the nerve is not being affected, it is possible to fill the tooth with a custom ceramic facet. In order to ensure an optimal results, the facet should be the same colour as the natural teeth. The facet should cover the tooth and realign the smile.

In the case where trauma has impacted a large majority of the crown and the pulp, the dentist should devitalize the tooth. In order to alleviate the pain, the dentist removes the nerve to desensitize the tooth and places a dental prosthesis. The result is almost invisible.

Furthermore, in the most severe cases where during trauma, the tooth has been severely damaged, the dentist may consider edentation for the purpose of placing a prosthesis. He removes the whole of the tooth and places a titanium screw on which the prosthetic tooth will be affixed.