A small crack in the enamel might not hurt, but a deeper fracture can be painful due to the nerves inside the tooth. Even tiny chips can be dangerous because their sharp edges can hurt your tongue or other soft tissues while eating.  A dentist can assess the damage and recommend the most suitable treatment to fix your teeth. Treatment could include fillings, veneers, or crowns. At Los Angeles Advanced Dentistry,  we can handle your emergency case if you have broken or fractured teeth. Contact us to discuss ways to improve your dental health for a happier life.

Parts of a Tooth Prone to Fractures and Breakages

A tooth consists of two main parts:

  • The crown, which is the part you can see
  • The root, which is hidden beneath the gums

A tooth also has three layers:

  • Enamel
  • Dentin
  • Pulp

The enamel is the tough outer layer that protects the inner parts of the tooth. Dentin is the second layer, but not as hard as enamel, but is tougher than pulp. The pulp is the innermost part, containing nerves and blood vessels. Usually, the exposed pulp makes the tooth hurt.

Your teeth can break either at the crown or the root. It is easy to notice a break in the crown because you can see or feel it. However, if the root breaks, your gums may hide it. If you notice a fracture on your tooth or pain originating from the root, visit a dentist. They can help determine if you have a broken root and suggest the ideal treatment.

Common Reasons for Broken and Fractured Teeth

The following are some of the main reasons causing fractured or broken teeth:

  • Trauma

Trauma is a frequent cause of broken teeth. For example, if you sustain injuries during contact sports, falling, being in a car accident, or experiencing physical violence can lead to fractures.

  • Age

Age also plays a role in tooth breakage. Young children and older adults are more likely to experience this issue. As you age, especially after 50, you may see cracks in your teeth, which can lead to breakage.

  • Hard Foods

Biting down on hard foods can also cause teeth to break. If you apply too much pressure while chewing, your teeth might not be strong enough to handle it, resulting in fractures.

  • Poor Eating Habits

Your eating habits are essential for keeping your teeth healthy. Consuming a lot of processed and sugary foods can weaken your teeth. You should limit your sugar intake. Weak teeth can break easily. Dental fillings may also weaken teeth, making them more likely to fracture.

  • Teeth Grinding

Grinding your teeth, especially at night, can lead to fractures. This habit wears down the enamel, the protective outer layer of your teeth. When the enamel is damaged, your teeth become more vulnerable to breaking.

Teeth Most Likely to Break or Fracture

Any tooth can break or fracture, but upper front teeth are at greater risk than others due to their location. Usually, a serious injury breaks multiple teeth, but only one tooth is affected most of the time. Lower back teeth are also at risk, especially for those involved in contact sports like boxing. Teeth with cavities are even more susceptible to breaking.

Symptoms of a Broken or Fractured Tooth

Sometimes, a fractured tooth may not show symptoms, especially if the fracture is minor. However, if it is more serious, you may feel pain, especially when chewing. This pain can vary and may worsen with certain foods or drinks.

A broken tooth might also become sensitive to hot or cold beverages and sweet foods. You may notice swelling around the tooth, and if the fracture is severe, the tooth may start to ache.

Types of Tooth Fractures 

Dentists classify your tooth fracture into one of five main types.

Cracked Tooth

A cracked tooth has a break that goes from the top of the tooth down to the gum line. If the crack is deep, it may reach the root, and the dentist might need to remove the tooth. Other treatments could include a root canal or placing a crown to protect the tooth from further harm. 

Craze Lines

Craze lines are tiny, hair-like cracks on the tooth’s surface. They mainly affect the enamel and are not painful. Since they are very shallow, they usually do not need significant treatment. Your dentist might smooth the enamel a bit to fix these minor cracks. 

Fractured Cusps

Fractured cusps refer to broken dental fillings. Various reasons can cause these fractures, such as trauma to the tooth or an improperly placed filling. Luckily, fractured cusps are often not very painful.

Split Tooth

A split tooth usually happens because of a strong impact that divides it into two pieces. It can start as a small crack and grow into a split. This split can reach your jawline and may involve the tooth’s root. Your dentist might need to remove the tooth if the split is significant.

Vertical Tooth Fracture

Unlike other fractures, a vertical root fracture goes from the tooth’s root down towards the biting surface. It can be hard to notice this fracture early on since it starts in a hidden tooth area. You may only learn about it if the surrounding tissue becomes infected or swollen, which can be painful. Usually, the dentist will need to take out the affected tooth.

Fracture Caused By Decay Or Cavities

Cavities weaken your tooth from the inside, making it easier to break. Your dentist will look at how much damage there is and suggest the ideal treatment. The dentist might need to pull the tooth if the cavity is severe. They can fix the damage with a dental filling if it is minor.

Severe Breaks

Severe breaks are the most serious type of tooth damage. It goes deep and can expose the tooth’s nerve endings, often causing pain and bleeding. The dentist may need to remove the tooth, but they will first check if there are other options. If they decide to save the tooth, they can perform a root canal, which involves removing the exposed nerve.

The dentist will fix your damaged tooth with a crown afterward. This crown allows you to eat and bite food easily.

What to Do if You Have Broken and Fractured Teeth

Dentists recommend against fixing fractured or broken teeth using at-home methods, but there are measures you can take to ease discomfort and protect your teeth until you see a dentist. Here are some essential actions to consider:

  • Avoid putting painkillers on the gums near the damaged teeth, as some can harm the gum tissues.
  • Floss and rinse your teeth gently with warm, clean water.
  • Cover the fractured teeth with milk, saliva, or saline solution.
  • If you have facial swelling, apply ice packs to your cheeks.
  • Use gauze to apply a little pressure to any areas that are bleeding.
  • If a tooth has come out, try to find it and keep it safe.
  • Visit your dental professional as soon as you can.

A dental emergency occurs when you need immediate attention to stop bleeding or fix teeth. To save your broken and fractured teeth, contact a qualified expert for a complete diagnosis and treatment.

Different Ways of Addressing Broken and Fractured Teeth

Even if fractured teeth are not easy to spot, seek help from a dentist for your oral health. Ignoring dental issues can lead to more problems. If you do not treat a fractured tooth, bacteria can build up in the crack, causing further infections.

To assess the condition of your teeth and the extent of any fractures, a dentist may use an X-ray. Dentists can often fix small chips or breaks in one visit, while more serious fractures may require multiple appointments. Treatments like root canals or extractions may be necessary if the fracture, known as the pulp, affects the tooth’s inner part. Here are some common treatments for broken or fractured teeth:

Dental Fillings

For minor dental enamel fractures, dentists typically suggest dental fillings or bonding. Dentists can complete this straightforward procedure in one visit without numbing. The dental professional uses a composite resin that matches the tooth color to cover the gaps.

Before using the resin, your dental professional will roughen the tooth surface with a special gel to ensure proper bonding. Then, they will use a bonding agent followed by the composite resin. Ultraviolet (UV) light hardens the resin, finishing the filling process. Teeth treated with this resin look and feel natural, helping patients regain their confidence and self-esteem.

Dental Veneers

Dental or porcelain veneer is an excellent option for visible fractures on front teeth to restore your smile and improve dental health.

Porcelain veneers are thin, custom-made shells that look like natural teeth. Dentists place them on the damaged teeth’ surface to enhance your smile’s appearance. There are two main types of veneers:

  • Composite resin veneers.
  • Porcelain veneers

After assessing the damage to your teeth, a dentist can determine the ideal type of veneer for your needs. Most dentists prefer porcelain veneers because they are durable and resemble natural teeth. The dentist can take your dental impression of the teeth and oral cavity to prepare for your permanent dental crown. The lab will use it to create your custom veneer. In the meantime, you will have temporary veneers.

About three weeks later, your dental veneer will be available for placement. You will need to return to the dentist for this final step. The dentist will roughen and reshape the enamel of the damaged teeth to ensure a good fit for the veneers. After placing the veneers, the dentist will utilize UV light to set the cement that secures them.

Dental Crown

A crown is ideal if a large part of your dental enamel is broken or damaged. Crowns are caps that mimic the size, shape, and look of natural teeth, and dentists use them to permanently restore cracked or fractured teeth.

Steel crowns are tough and long-lasting, often lasting over five years. The process of obtaining dental crowns involves two main steps.

During the initial visit, the dentist can take X-rays to check the damage to the teeth roots and assess the surrounding jawbone. If teeth roots are healthy, the dentist can use anesthesia to numb your gums around the broken teeth. Then, they will remove any remaining parts of the damaged teeth to prepare for the crown.

Afterward, the dental professional will mold your teeth and send them to a lab to make your permanent crown. About 3 weeks later, during the final visit, the dental professional will extract the temporary dental crowns and put on custom-made permanent dental crowns that feel and appear like real teeth. These crowns help protect the insides of fractured teeth from infections and additional harm.

Root Canal

If a crack or fracture reaches the pulp chamber of a tooth or if the roots become weak, the dental professional may suggest root canal treatment to stop further infections. When infection or decay affects the inner part of the tooth, it can damage the nerves, leading to the tooth dying. A dead tooth may need different treatments, like extraction and an implant.

If your teeth hurt when you drink hot or cold beverages, you may need root canal treatment. You can seek emergency oral care quickly to save your tooth or teeth. Root canal treatment is more involved than obtaining a dental crown or filling.

The root canal process is now more straightforward and less scary, thanks to new technology. The dental professional will use advanced tools to carefully drill into the damaged teeth’ enamel, clean the roots, and extract any dead or infected dental pulp. This procedure helps prevent further damage and the need for extraction.

After cleaning, the dentist will fill the root canal with a tooth-colored material like composite resin or porcelain to prevent bacteria. Finally, the dental professional will place dental crowns to restore your smile and shield the root canal.

Dental Implant and Extraction

Root canal treatment might sometimes be insufficient to save a broken tooth. The depth of the fracture will help determine the ideal treatment. If the crack is deep, you may need to extract the tooth. Loose tooth roots also mean extraction is necessary to avoid infection.

Before extraction, discuss your medical record with your dentist to avoid complications. The dentist can numb the area around the extracted tooth with anesthesia to help with anxiety and pain.

For a lengthy tooth extraction that needs surgery, a dental professional may use sedation techniques like nitrous oxide to help the patient relax and feel no pain during the procedure. There are two types of tooth extractions based on how severe the tooth damage is:

  • Simple extractions
  • Surgical extractions

Healing time after tooth extractions depends on the type of extraction and a patient’s overall health. A surgical extraction usually takes about 3 to 4 weeks to heal fully. Once healed, your dental professional may suggest obtaining dental implants to replace the missing teeth. Dental implants look, feel, and work like natural teeth, allowing the patient to smile and eat comfortably again.

When you go to your dentist with broken or fractured teeth, it is their job to find the best treatment for your dental problem to improve your oral health. Trust that your dentist’s procedure will be the right choice for your needs.

After undergoing a dental procedure, you should follow some aftercare recommendations for a quick recovery, such as:

  • Do not rinse your mouth for the first twenty-four hours after dental treatment, especially after tooth extraction or root canal treatment.
  • Avoid hot foods and drinks.
  • Stick to a diet of soft foodstuffs until the root canal or extraction site heals.
  • Refrain from smoking.
  • If you feel pain in your cheek around the extraction area, you can use ice packs to numb the area. However, if the discomfort continues, you should contact your dentist.

How Long Does It Take to Repair a Fractured Tooth?

The time needed to fix a cracked tooth can vary from weeks to months based on the type of treatment. Your dentist or endodontist will guide you through the repair process so you know what to expect. For example:

  • Crowns—Sometimes, the dentist can place a crown in one day, but it often requires several visits.
  • Extractions—Obtaining a dental implant to replace the tooth may take several months.
  • Veneers—It takes about three to four weeks to create a veneer before the dentist can attach it to your tooth

Will I Always Need Treatment for a Cracked Tooth?

Not necessarily. You might not need treatment if your cracked tooth does not cause infections or pain or extend deeply, like a hairline crack. However, you can consult a dentist if you notice any symptoms or a crack in your tooth.

Can I Fix a Cracked Tooth At Home?

You cannot fix it on your own. If you suspect a cracked tooth, visit a dentist. In the meantime, you can handle your symptoms until your appointment.

  • Apply an ice pack to the outside of your mouth to reduce swelling.
  • Rinse your mouth with salt water to help clean your teeth.
  • Take nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) to alleviate pain and swelling.

Find an LA Emergency Dental Clinic Near Me

Having a fractured or broken tooth is considered dental emergency and calls for immediate intervention. Modern dental practices offer effective treatments for broken or fractured too, ranging from simple dental bonding to lasting solutions like implants.

We at Los Angeles Advanced Dentistry offered contemporary treatment options for fractured and broken teeth. Our emergency dentist are on standy to handle you dental emergency. Contact us at 310-361-2080 to schedule an appointment with one of our Los Angeles dental experts today.