Oral injuries can happen to anyone. They’re common among people who play contact sports like football or basketball, or who participate in activities like skateboarding, mountain biking, and other “extreme” sports. But even something like a slip and fall or a car accident could damage or destroy one or more of your teeth.
Usually, broken or cracked teeth can be rebuilt with a crown from Dr. Josh Haycock. But what if the tooth breaks below the gumline, and most of the tooth is gone? Can it still be saved? The answer is “it depends!” It depends on your situation, your oral health, and the extent of the damage. Get all the answers you need in this blog from Auburn Hills Family Dentistry.
Restoring Broken Teeth With a Root Canal, Post and Core, and Dental Crown
If your tooth has broken at the gum line, but there’s still a significant amount of tooth material left and it’s not severely infected, it’s usually possible to restore it. This takes three procedures:
- Root canal – First, a root canal must be done to remove any infected or decayed tissue from the inside of your tooth. Tooth infections are very common after a tooth breaks, so this is a very important step.
- Post and core – The next step is a “post and core.” Once your root canal is done, Dr. Haycock will insert a metal or ceramic “post” into your tooth before it’s filled. This post sticks up above the gum line. Then, a dental crown can be built around and attached to this post, which keeps it stable and ensures it remains in place.
- Dental crown – After your root canal and your post and core, you’ll be sent home with a temporary crown to cover your tooth. Then, Dr. Haycock will work with a dental lab to build a permanent porcelain crown. You’ll come back to our office in a few weeks to get this crown, which will attach to your remaining tooth structure, as well as your dental post.
Extracting Severely Broken or Decayed Teeth
Sometimes, it’s not possible to save a tooth that’s broken at the gumline. If your tooth is really severely broken and there’s not enough structure to rebuild it, or the remaining tooth has a very deep infection, extracting it is the best option. A tooth extraction will relieve your pain, prevent further complications, and allow you to explore other options for smile restoration, like a dental bridge or a dental implant.
For broken teeth, a surgical extraction is usually necessary. In this procedure, Dr. Haycock will clean and numb your mouth, and then create an incision on the gum line near your broken tooth. Through this opening, he will cut the remaining tooth structure into small pieces, and extract them from the socket.
Once the entire tooth has been removed, he will clean and suture the area to ensure it heals properly. Then, you’ll be sent home. Dr. Haycock will give you instructions to follow as you recover, and you’ll come back to our office a few times so that we can make sure you’re healing properly.
Got a Broken Tooth? You Need To Get Emergency Help Right Away!
Time is one of the most important factors when it comes to fixing a broken tooth. The sooner you get help, the more likely it is that Dr. Haycock can rebuild and restore your tooth. So don’t wait. We offer same-day emergency dentistry for patients in Dacula and the surrounding areas. Contact us now at 678-804-8818 and get the expert care you need to save your tooth.
