3 Signs You Should Visit a Dentist To Treat a Broken Tooth

Are you dealing with a broken tooth? Read on to learn about how to proceed. A broken tooth requires treatment regardless of how minor it might seem. The smallest chip increases the risk of a tooth developing decay as it loses some of the natural protection provided by its enamel. Enamel is the strongest substance in the human body, and it is designed to withstand acids made by oral bacteria. It serves as the outermost layer of teeth, protecting the more sensitive inner layers.

A broken tooth also ruins the appearance of your smile. There are various treatments like composite bonding that can be used to restore the aesthetics of damaged teeth.

3 Signs you need treatment for your broken tooth

The severity of a broken tooth determines the type of symptoms you have to deal with. Some of the signs your broken tooth requires immediate dental care include:

1. Severe toothaches

Not all toothaches cause significant pain. People with minor chips and breaks often do not experience much pain. However, damage that affects the inner layers of a tooth, like the dentin and pulp chamber, often leads to significant pain.

Tooth pain is how the body lets the brain know something is wrong in the mouth. It is a sign the damage to the tooth needs to be fixed as soon as possible. Pain that makes it impossible to focus on anything else might signify the tooth has been infected.

2. Severe bleeding

Severe bleeding from a tooth is often a sign its pulp chamber has been damaged. This means the tooth is vulnerable to infection and requires immediate dental care. Such damage to a tooth often requires treatments like root canal therapy to clean out the contents of the pulp chamber. That is often enough to stop any bleeding coming from the tooth.

The tooth is sealed with a material called gutta-percha to complete the therapy, and the tooth might be covered with a crown to protect it from further damage.

3. Infection

A broken tooth that has been infected requires emergency dental care. A tooth infection can be easily treated in its early stages with treatments like root canal therapy, but the dentist might be forced to extract the tooth if the infection is threatening to spread to other parts of the body. A tooth infection spreading to vital organs like the heart and brain can be a life-threatening condition.

Root canal therapy for an infected tooth involves removing its nerves, blood vessels, and connective tissues. Medication is typically pushed into the chamber before sealing it back up. A crown can then be placed on the tooth to protect it and restore its function. The crown also restores the tooth’s aesthetics.

Ready to fix your broken tooth?

There are various ways to go about treating a damaged tooth to restore its appearance and function. Give us a call or visit our Benicia dental clinic to schedule an appointment.

Request an appointment here: https://beniciadentist.com or call Southampton Dental Care at (707) 887-5075 for an appointment in our Benicia office.

Check out what others are saying about our dental services on Yelp: Can a Cracked Tooth be Saved with a Root Canal and Crown in Benicia, CA.