Without professional treatment, the broken tooth is susceptible to an infection that will only get worse over time. This infection can move to the neck and head, causing all sorts of health problems. While rare, it is possible for a chipped tooth to prove life-threatening. Do not let this happen to you.
An untreated cracked tooth can lead to tooth sensitivity, tooth decay, and ultimately tooth loss. If you've cracked a tooth, it's important to make an appointment to see Dr. Walkington as soon as you can so that it can be evaluated and treated if necessary. A cracked tooth can vary in its severity.
Depending on the type and extent of the damage, it may be days, weeks, months, and sometimes even years before the tooth falls out.
A chipped or broken tooth is not necessarily a dental emergency unless the patient is in severe pain or bleeding. However, it is important to contact a dentist immediately after the incident for an appointment. It is advisable to check the extent of the damage, whether it is a partial chip or full breakage.
You might notice pain, sensitivity, swelling, or signs of infection, but you can also crack a tooth without any symptoms. See your dentist right away if you suspect a fractured tooth. Treatments may save your tooth, restore your appearance and prevent further dental problems.
If the crack is small and does not go down to the root of the tooth, a filling may be able to be used to fix the problem. However, if the crack is large or goes down to the root of the tooth, an extraction will most likely be necessary to prevent infection.
You will want to avoid chewing on the side with the damaged tooth until you can see the dentist. Avoid hard food and drink only warm beverages. You will still want to brush and floss, but be very gentle and cautious.
The ER staff can get patients stabilized, control bleeding, and give treatment for dental fractures. In the case of bacterial infections, they can provide antibiotics and will arrange for transfer to the hospital if necessary. They can also treat broken, dislodged, or fractured teeth and help to control severe pain.
Infection: A cracked tooth that is left untreated for a duration of time can result in a pulp infection. This requires immediate treatment, as infection can spread to the gums and bone. Besides swelling, you may notice fever, increased pain, tender glands, and bad breath.
You should never wait to fix your chipped or cracked tooth, even if you aren't experiencing any pain.
Even if your broken tooth doesn't hurt, you shouldn't leave it untreated. There could be many more severe underlying issues that you are at increased risk of. One of the most alarming possible side effects of a broken tooth is that food detritus can get trapped inside, leading to bad infections.
How Can I Have A Broken Tooth With No Pain? If you break or chip a tooth, one of the possibilities is that you only damage the enamel layer. This means that you might not compromise the dentin layer, which protects the sensitive pulp. In that case, it's possible not to feel pain or only feel a mild toothache.
Eating something hard. Facial trauma following an accident. Damage from sports. Untreated cavities can cause a tooth to become brittle and break.
Don't Eat or Drink Unless Necessary
But if at all possible, you should at least avoid solid foods, sugary or acidic foods and beverages, and anything that's hot or cold. These types of foods are more likely to increase the pain. Any pressure on the damaged tooth can also worsen breakage.
How long can I leave a broken tooth in my mouth? It is recommended to extract a broken tooth as soon as possible. Leaving a tooth that is exposed inside the mouth makes it susceptible to dental infections, which can lead to pain, swelling, and possible sepsis.
If you're wondering, “Can a dentist fix a half-broken tooth?”, yes, a dentist can usually fix a broken or chipped tooth. However, it's essential to get to your dentist as soon as possible after realizing your tooth broke in half.
If the deepest layers of the pulp become infected, it may be too late to save the tooth. In addition, if a large portion of the tooth is lost and a crown cannot be placed on what's left, root canal treatment is no longer a viable solution.
You may need to have a tooth extracted if: Periodontal disease has badly infected the tooth. The tooth is badly damaged and cannot be restored by a filling or a crown. You are suffering from pain even after a filling, crown, or treatment for a root canal.
Causes of a cracked tooth
pressure from teeth grinding. fillings so large they weaken the integrity of the tooth. chewing or biting hard foods, such as ice, nuts, or hard candy. blows to the mouth, such as might happen with a car accident, sporting injury, fall, or even a fistfight.
It can potentially take several months for a dental abscess to develop. Once an abscess has formed, noticeable pain and swelling around the affected tooth usually occur. If left untreated, it may take a few more weeks or months for the infection to spread to other tissues and cause complications.
Poor dental health increases the risk of a bacterial infection in the blood stream, which can affect the heart valves. Oral health may be particularly important if you have artificial heart valves. Tooth loss patterns are connected to coronary artery disease.
Signs and symptoms of a tooth abscess include: Severe, constant, throbbing toothache that can spread to your jawbone, neck or ear. Pain or discomfort with hot and cold temperatures. Pain or discomfort with the pressure of chewing or biting.