A Fractured Tooth Needs Timely Treatment and Repair

Your teeth have been designed to be durable enough to bite, chew, and grind common foods. Unfortunately, there are times when a fracture can occur in a tooth. This might come from something as mundane as grinding your teeth at night or something as traumatic as a blow to the face. Even if a fracture doesn’t damage the interior of the tooth, the damaged enamel could still trap food particles and plaque, harboring a new area of tooth decay.

The severity of the damage to the tooth will determine the course of treatment and restoration that your dentist, Dr. Elhameh Allamehzadeh, recommends.

Small fractures in a non-critical part of a tooth can sometimes be repaired with a basic dental filling. If the fracture is significant but the interior of the tooth is healthy, Dr. Elhameh Allamehzadeh might recommend replacing the tooth enamel with a dental crown.

There are some cases when the fracture is so severe that it damages the critical interior structures of the tooth. The most common symptoms of this include a persistent ache, sharp pain, or excessive sensitivity. In a case like this, Dr. Elhameh Allamehzadeh might need to perform a root canal.

If the fracture has caused severe damage to the root and socket of the tooth, it might need to be extracted. Once your gums have healed, he can help you decide if you’d like to replace the tooth with a dental bridge or dental implant.

If you have a fractured tooth in San Diego, California, you should call 619-542-1800 to schedule an appointment at Dr. Ellie's Gentle Dentistry.