Teeth are frequently in harm’s way, one moment you are biting on your food, and the next moment your tooth got cracked. Several other explanations for a fractured tooth could range from getting hit by a ball while playing cricket to meeting a road traffic accident. Clenching, teeth grinding, and biting on hard objects like candy or ice are also a few reasons causing the tooth to break. There can be different levels of fractures which may involve enamel, dentin, and pulp.
Treatment can vary from using tooth-colored material to cover a small chipped tooth to root canal treatment followed by a dental crown. When a patient comes to the dental clinic with a broken tooth, the treatment starts with a detailed case history followed by an intraoral and extra-oral examination. The vitality of the tooth is checked before planning the treatment.
Following are the top treatment plans to fix a broken tooth:
- Tooth-Colored Material and Veneers
If the tooth has a minor chip and it only includes the enamel (outer surface), no emergency treatment is required. It can often be treated with dental bonding which involves layering on durable, tooth-colored material to reshape the tooth. This is a very simple procedure that can be finished in one sitting. Minor chips can also be repaired with the help of veneers made of porcelain which covers the entire front surface of the tooth and not just the chipped area.
- Capping of Tooth with Crown
When the fractured area involves a large part of the tooth, a crown is used to cover it. Before placing the crown, the tooth is restored followed by its preparation. This treatment requires at least two appointments. A temporary crown is placed in the first appointment and the patient is recalled once the permanent crown is ready. There are different types of crowns available depending on the type of material used. For anterior teeth Zirconia, Porcelain, or E-max crowns are used and for posterior teeth, Porcelain fused to metal or metal crowns can be used.
When the fractured tooth is approaching the pulp or the pulp is involved, root canal treatment is done before capping the tooth with a crown. This is a more intense treatment plan where multiple appointments are required. Many people worry that a root canal will be painful, something that was true in the past but not anymore! Today, with advanced digital technology and anesthesia – a root canal is a comfortable procedure. A root canal-treated tooth can last a lifetime with proper care. RCT dental treatment has a high success rate and is undoubtedly less expensive than tooth extraction and replacement with a bridge or implant.
- Pulp Capping and Pulpotomy
When the tooth is still developing or is a well-developed young permanent tooth, pulp capping and pulpotomy are done to preserve the vital pulp tissue so that continued root development occurs. This process may avoid the need for root canal therapy. This procedure usually depends on the size of exposure, presence of hemorrhage, and time elapsed since the injury.
The Dental Roots is the only dental hospital in Delhi NCR with 5 highly qualified and experienced Endodontists. Dr. Dheeraj Setia is one of the best dentists in Gurgaon who had the vision to bring specialized dental care to India. Over a period of 10 years, he and his team have served more than 15,000 patients with a commitment to delivering the highest quality dental care using the latest technology and equipment.
His mission is to provide patient-oriented, advanced, and cost-effective dental care to society and ensure that you get the highest level of dental treatment in a trusted and compassionate environment.