Categories: Emergency Dental Care

Signs a Broken Tooth Is an Emergency

A broken tooth does not always count as a dental emergency unless it requires immediate dental care. A broken tooth can be the result of biting into something too hard, especially if the tooth has already been weakened by tooth decay. It can also be caused by trauma to the face or habits like teeth grinding.

A broken tooth ruins the aesthetic of your smile, and it can affect your ability to chew. A broken tooth is also more vulnerable to decay because food particles and other debris will build up when the tooth is broken. Fortunately, dentists have several tools at their disposal when it comes to treating broken teeth, like dental crowns.

How to determine if a broken tooth requires emergency care

Not sure if your broken tooth counts as a dental emergency? Here are a few things that you should be look for.

1. Excessive bleeding

Excess blood coming from a broken tooth is usually a sign that the tooth has serious internal damage. In many cases, the tooth’s pulp chamber has been compromised, leaving the nerves and blood vessels in there exposed to irritants in the mouth, like bacteria and acids.

Such injuries are often accompanied by excruciating toothaches, increasing the need for urgent treatment. Severe damage to a tooth is often addressed by performing root canal therapy. During the procedure, the dentist removes the soft tissues in the pulp chamber and disinfects the area. The tooth is sealed back up and covered with a crown to provide additional protection.

2. Loose tooth

A broken tooth that is loose because of an injury requires emergency care. If left untreated, the tooth can end up falling out. Dentists can easily address a loose tooth by securing it to other stable teeth with a splint. This keeps it firmly in place in the patient’s mouth, allowing its roots to form new bonds with bone tissues around them. The dentist can then perform appropriate treatments for the broken tooth, like composite bonding or a crown.

3. Excruciating toothaches

Dental issues that cause a person unbearable pain are usually classified as dental emergencies. Standard dental appointments involve waiting for one or more weeks to see a dentist. People who are dealing with intense pain require immediate access to a dentist.

Intense pain coming from a broken tooth is typically a sign that the tooth’s pulp chamber has been damaged. This leaves the nerves and blood vessels in there exposed to acids and bacteria. It is these irritants getting into the pulp chamber that leads to pain.

A dentist can resolve these by performing a root canal to remove the nerve and blood vessels. The tooth is then sealed up and covered with a dental crown.