Half My Tooth Broke Off
Patients of any age can experience a fractured tooth which can result from eating hard food, old dental fillings, grinding your teeth, decay, or trauma. A fractured tooth is when an actual crack occurs in your tooth which can be small and harmless or can be larger and cause your tooth to completely split into. You may or may not experience symptoms with a broken tooth but symptoms that may occur as a result of a fractured tooth may include pain and swelling, sensitivity to hot and cold foods and beverages, sensitivity to sugars, and swelling in the surrounding gum tissue.
What will I see if I have a broken tooth?
There are different types of fractures that can occur in the teeth with varying degrees of severity including:
- Craze lines (hairline cracks): These common fractures are small, thin cracks on the enamel of your tooth; these are usually harmless and do not cause any pain.
- Cracked tooth: A vertical crack that runs from the biting or chewing surface of your tooth to your gum line, sometimes even extending past the gum line and into the root that can be very painful if left untreated.
- Vertical root fracture: This is a crack that starts below the gum line and travels toward the biting surface of the tooth and may not cause symptoms unless the tooth becomes infected at which point you may need root canal therapy.
- Fractured cusp: When a crack forms around an old dental filling, it needs to be restored as soon as possible even if you do not experience any pain.
- Split tooth: This is a crack that extends from the surface of the tooth to below the gum line and can split your tooth into two parts and requires immediate treatment.
How is a broken tooth treated?
Depending on how severe the fracture is, your dentist will use one of these common treatments for a cracked or broken tooth:
- Contouring: Small chips and breaks that do not exhibit any symptoms may be smoothed out by your dentist to remove rough edges.
- Bonding: Dental bonding can be used to repair minor fractures or to restore a fracture after root canal therapy. Bonding uses the same composite material that is used to fill a small cavity.
- Crown: A dental crown is a porcelain or ceramic restoration that fits over the entire tooth to the gum line and can save a fractured tooth from being extracted.
- Root Canal Therapy: When a fracture extends into the pulp, the tooth can become infected. A root canal removes the infected pulp and prevents further damage and infection and relieves pain. Root canal treated teeth are often restored with a crown.
- Extraction: If a broken tooth cannot be saved, removing the tooth may be the only option. Your dentist will provide you with options to replace the tooth once it has been removed, like a dental bridge or dental implant.
Whether or not you experience symptoms, a cracked tooth should be addressed by your dentist as soon as possible. Even a minor chip needs attention to prevent further damage to the tooth and surrounding tissue.