Dental Injuries (cont.)
What about a chipped tooth?
A minor tooth fracture involves chipping of the enamel only.
The tooth
is not displaced, and there is no bleeding from the gums. The
only symptom
of such minor chipping may be sharp or rough tooth edges
irritating the
cheek and tongue. The injured tooth itself may not even be
painful or
sensitive to food or temperature. The risk of pulp injury is
small, and
treatment is not urgent. A small amount of orthodontic wax or
sugarless
gum can be placed over the rough edge until the dentist can be
reached.
Definitive treatment usually involves placing a dental filling,
a
porcelain or gold crown, or a "cap" to protect the
pulp of the
tooth and to restore normal tooth contour.
What about a fracture of the enamel & dentin?
A deeper fracture can involve both the enamel and the dentin
of a tooth.
The tooth is still not displaced and the gums are not bleeding.
These
deeper fractures may be sensitive to cold temperature or food.
Prolonged
exposure of dentin to oral bacteria can cause the death of the
inner pulp
tissue. Death of pulp tissue can lead to serious tooth
infection and
abscess. Therefore, fractures involving the dentin should be
treated
promptly (within days of the injury). Treatment involves
placing an
anesthetizing cream over the exposed dentin, followed by a
dental filling,
a porcelain or gold crown, or a "cap" to protect the
pulp of the
tooth. A follow up x-ray in 3-6 months may be needed to be sure
that the
pulp has not died.
If the fracture has already significantly injured the pulp,
then
treatment involves either extracting the dying tooth or
performing a root
canal procedure to prevent serious tooth infection. The root
canal
procedure is used to save the dying tooth from extraction. This
procedure
involves removing all the dying pulp tissue and replacing it
with an inert
material.
Next: What if I get my teeth knocked out? »
- Root Canal - Read about root canal complications, pain, costs and symptoms and signs that a root canal is needed. The dental procedure is a treatment used to save an infected tooth.
- Toothache - Complete explanation of toothache causes including - dental cavities, dental abscess, gum disease, irritation of the tooth root, cracked tooth syndrome, temporomandibular disease, impaction, eruption, as well as diseases. of the heart, sinuses, and ears.
- Dental Crowns - Get information about types of dental crowns (permanent, temporary, porcelain), problems (cap falls out, pain, broken or loose crown) and procedure cost.
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