Every broken tooth is a dental emergency. Even though some breaks may seem inconsequential or like they can wait, they all have the potential to become serious problems. Always call your Manhattan Beach dentist right away to get the damage fixed before it becomes a bigger complication.
Avoid Advanced Dental Problems with Emergency Dental Care
If you chipped a molar and it doesn’t hurt, you may feel like it’s not a major problem, that you can deal with the issue until the next time you go to your Manhattan Beach dentist for a teeth cleaning and checkup. If a filling is broken or you chip a front tooth, you might be annoyed at the obvious problem, but you may also do just about anything to avoid an emergency dental visit. But it’s always better to see your dentist sooner rather than later.
Any tooth that is broken or has damaged enamel leaves that tooth susceptible to bacteria and food particles. What may seem like a minor issue can become a major, painful infection if anything foreign enters your tooth – and it only takes the smallest chip or crack to make that possible. It’s better to get the break fixed immediately than risk the need for more invasive dental restorations.
Dental Restorations for Broken Teeth
Tooth enamel is incredibly strong, but if it gets hit the wrong way or repeatedly suffers stress in the same area, a break is likely. If you suffer a blow to the mouth or a fall, broken teeth may seem like a more acute problem. If you bite down on something the wrong way or have deteriorating dental work, it may feel like you can just live with the it. If you grind your teeth every night, you may not even notice that a break has occurred, but it’s there. From hairline cracks to major chunks missing from a tooth, broken teeth are a big problem even if they don’t look like it.
Here’s the good news: There are multiple dental restorations that your Manhattan Beach dentist can use to fix a broken tooth depending on the location and severity of the problem, including:
- Tooth-colored filling: Fillings aren’t just for cavities. They can correct small breaks in a tooth with a natural-looking solution.
- Root canal therapy: A severely broken tooth that is causing serious pain is a sign that there is damage down in the depths of the tooth. Root canal therapy clears out the problem and your dentist fills the root canals to eliminate pain and prevent further complications.
- Porcelain crown: A crown is used to cover a tooth treated with root canal therapy. And sometimes a crown is used independently to cover an entire broken tooth that is too damaged to handle a filling.
- Porcelain veneer: If your broken tooth is more a cosmetic issue than anything, a porcelain veneer can be applied to match the rest of your teeth and cover up the unsightliness.
- Tooth extraction: Pulling a tooth is always a last resort. Your dentist will do everything possible to save the tooth first. If this treatment is necessary, the missing tooth can be replaced later with a dental bridge or dental implant.
Get Emergency Dental Care Near Me in Manhattan Beach
If you have a broken tooth, don’t wait. Contact your emergency dentist at Beachside Smiles in Manhattan Beach right away.
