how to repair a broken molar tooth

How is a broken molar treated?

• Reattaching broken fragment. Reattaching the broken tooth may be possible in some cases. But the deeper your tooth is...
• Root canal. A root canal may be combined with reattachment techniques or fillings. A root canal is a procedure that...
• Extrusion techniques. Extrusion (moving your tooth very slowly out of the socket) is a technique your...

Full Answer

What to do if you have a cracked molar?

Until you can get to the dentist, take the following steps:

• Rinse your mouth with warm water
• If you’re bleeding, apply pressure to the area with a piece of gauze or tea bag
• Apply a cold pack to the cheek or lips
• Take an over-the-counter pain reliever

What to do if your molar tooth breaks?

• Rinse mouth with warm water.
• If possible, reinsert permanent teeth into the correct sockets and have the person bite on a gauze pad to hold teeth in place.
• If you can't reinsert permanent teeth, or for baby teeth or teeth fragments, store them in whole milk or between your cheek and gum to prevent drying.

How much does it cost to repair a broken tooth?

Cost to Fix Broken Tooth Depending on the break's severity, the cost to fix a broken tooth varies from $300 up to $2,000 without insurance. In some cases, fixing a broken tooth can cost up to $10,000 without insurance, especially when extensive work, including extraction, an implant, and a crown, is needed.

What is the best way to repair a broken tooth?

• Rinse the mouth with warm water or saltwater
• Apply pressure to stop the bleeding
• Use an ice pack to help reduce any swelling
• Take acetaminophen for pain relief (do not take aspirin, which could increase the bleeding)
• Avoid chewing on the affected side of the mouth
• Avoid hard foods like hard candy

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Can a broken molar tooth be fixed?

If you have chipped off just a small piece of tooth enamel, your dentist may repair the damage with a filling. If the repair is to a front tooth or can be seen when you smile, your dentist will likely use a procedure called bonding, which uses a tooth-colored composite resin.

What happens when you break a molar tooth?

Untreated broken molars can cause infection, abscess, and nerve damage. Bacteria from this contamination can also infect your jaw bone, surrounding teeth, and gums. If you need to fix your broken molar, schedule an appointment with our emergency dentist in West Des Moines today!

Can a molar broken in half Be Saved?

If a tiny piece of enamel or filling has chipped off, you may only need a new filling or some bonding material to restore the chipped portion. If only a small piece of your tooth broke off, your dental professional might be able to protect the remainder of the tooth with a crown or filling.

Is a broken molar tooth an emergency?

A broken tooth often warrants a visit to an emergency dental office. In fact, tooth fractures are one of the most common dental emergencies.

How much does it cost to fix a broken molar?

Bonding a tooth might cost anywhere from $100 to $1,000, and the total cost might depend on how much work needs to be done on a tooth. A filling might cost anywhere from $90 to $500. A dental veneer might set you back $500 to $1,500.

Should I brush a broken tooth?

There could be bleeding when there is a broken tooth. The person should rinse with warm water to flush out the blood. This will also keep the area clean. However, the individual should not brush the fractured tooth.

Why does my broken tooth not hurt?

If you break or chip a tooth, one of the possibilities is that you only damage the enamel layer. This means that you might not compromise the dentin layer, which protects the sensitive pulp. In that case, it's possible not to feel pain or only feel a mild toothache.

Why did my molar break?

Symptoms and Causes Biting hard foods, such as candy, ice or popcorn kernels. Habits, such as gum chewing, ice chewing. Large dental fillings or a root canal, which weaken the tooth. Teeth grinding (bruxism).

What can be done with a cracked molar?

Your dentist can place a new filling or crown over the damaged tooth to protect it. If you've cracked a tooth and breathing through your mouth or drinking cold fluids is painful, bite on clean, moist gauze or cloth to help relieve symptoms until reaching your dentist's office.

How serious is a cracked molar?

Is A Cracked Molar an Emergency? Although cracked molars may not feel like an emergency if you're not in pain, they require urgent treatment. Any cracked tooth has the potential to become an emergency at a moment's notice.

Can half a tooth be saved?

Dental Bonding A small piece of broken tooth can be repaired with the help of a composite resin. The dentist in this procedure first makes the surface rough using a gel or liquid to make the bonding material stick to it. Next, an adhesive is applied, following the tooth-colored resin.

Why are my back molars breaking?

Facial trauma following an accident. Damage from sports. Untreated cavities can cause a tooth to become brittle and break. Old, large amalgam fillings, where the remaining structure of the natural tooth can become brittle over a period of time.

Can I leave a broken tooth in my mouth?

Even if your broken tooth doesn't hurt, you shouldn't leave it untreated. There could be many more severe underlying issues that you are at increased risk of. One of the most alarming possible side effects of a broken tooth is that food detritus can get trapped inside, leading to bad infections.

Why did a piece of my molar break?

A fractured or cracked tooth occurs due to age, tooth grinding, trauma and other factors. You might not have any symptoms of a fractured tooth. Or you might notice pain, sensitivity and swelling. Your dentist has several methods to treat a fracture, depending on the crack's location and severity.

What to do if one of your molars breaks off?

Visit your dentist right away if one of your molars breaks off at or beneath your gum line. If it happens when you can’t see your dentist, you can also visit an emergency room. Keep reading to find out what you can do if one of your molars breaks off at your gum line and why it may have happened.

What causes a broken tooth?

Some of the most common causes and contributing factors of a broken tooth include: 1 biting something hard, especially by accident 2 untreated cavities that lead to tooth decay 3 recurrent cavities 4 aging teeth 5 sudden changes in mouth temperature 6 chronic teeth grinding ( bruxism) 7 weakness caused by a filling

What is it called when a tooth is broken beneath the gum line?

Teeth that are broken beneath the gum line are known as subgingival fractures . Whether your tooth can be saved depends on how deeply the tooth is broken and how quickly you get treatment. Your dentist might have to recontour your bone with a procedure called a crown lengthening to be able to fix your broken tooth.

How to tell if you have a broken tooth?

What are the symptoms of a broken tooth? If your molar breaks at your gum line, you’ll likely be able to feel the missing part of your tooth with your tongue. You may feel the jagged and sharp edge of the remaining fragment left in your gum.

What does it mean when your tooth is dark brown?

If it appears black or dark brown, it may be a sign of tooth decay. You may also taste blood from broken blood vessels inside the tooth or from cuts in your gums or tongue. If the inner pulp is exposed, you’ll likely experience pain from exposed nerve roots.

What to do if your tooth breaks below gum line?

If the damage is minor, which is unlikely if the break is below your gum line, your dentist may be able to use a filling made from a tooth-colored composite resin to fix the broken tooth.

Why do you reattach your tooth?

Reattaching your original tooth can provide aesthetically pleasing results since the tooth provides you with a natural color and texture.

What to do if you have a broken tooth?

If you have a cracked or broken tooth, you need to see a dentist right away.

How to harden composite tooth?

Our dentist will roughen your tooth and put on a conditioning liquid. Putty will be applied, molded, and smoothed. Then, an ultraviolet light is used to harden the composite. When the tooth bonding has dried, it will be shaped and polished to match the rest of the tooth.

What is vertical root fracture?

Vertical root fracture. These cracks begin in the root of the tooth and extend toward the chewing surface. Often, they show minimal signs and symptoms. Many times, they are discovered when the surrounding bone and gum become infected.

What foods can damage your teeth?

According to the American Dental Association, the top nine foods that damage your teeth are hard candies, ice, citrus, coffee, dried fruit, potato chips, soda, alcohol, and sports drinks. Tooth decay or cavities can also weaken your teeth, causing them to be more likely to break when you are chewing hard food.

Why is the tooth sealed?

Then the tooth is sealed to prevent further infection.

Why do dentists use veneers?

Veneers are covers for a tooth. At our dentist office, we use porcelain veneers because they provide the most attractive and realistic results possible.

What are the tiny cracks in the enamel of the mouth?

Craze lines. These are tiny cracks that only affect the outer enamel. Craze lines are common for adults. They are shallow, cause no pain, and are of no concern beyond the way they look.

How to heal a broken tooth?

After suffering a broken tooth, here are the steps patients can take to reduce additional damage before going to the dentist: 1 Rinse the mouth with warm water or saltwater 2 Apply pressure to stop the bleeding 3 Use an ice pack to help reduce any swelling 4 Take acetaminophen for pain relief (do not take aspirin, which could increase the bleeding) 5 Avoid chewing on the affected side of the mouth 6 Avoid hard foods like hard candy 7 Use dental wax over the broken tooth’s chewing surface to protect the gums

How much does it cost to fix a broken tooth?

Cost to Fix Broken Tooth. Depending on the break's severity, the cost to fix a broken tooth varies from $300 up to $2,000 without insurance. In some cases, fixing a broken tooth can cost up to $10,000 without insurance, especially when extensive work, including extraction, an implant, and a crown, is needed.

When is a Cracked Tooth Not an Emergency?

If the only damage is on the surface of the tooth, it may not be an emergency.

What is a dental bond?

Dental Bonding or Filling. For situations where only a small piece of enamel has chipped off, a dentist can repair the damage with a dental filling. Dental fillings can be made of a white composite resin or silver amalgam (mercury mixed with silver, tin, zinc, and copper).

What to do if your tooth falls out?

If your tooth falls out, use gauze to grab it by the crown. If possible, place the tooth back into the socket. If this isn't possible, place the tooth in water, milk, or saline solution. Make an emergency appointment with your dentist as soon as possible. Try to arrive within 30 minutes.

What happens if a tooth is cracked?

1. Broken Tooth Extraction and Dental Implant. If the tooth’s crack extends below the gum line, the tooth cannot be saved and will need to be extracted (removed). Extraction is usually the only option when the crack is vertical, below the gum line, involves the roots, and when pieces are mobile. After the tooth is extracted, a dental implant is ...

What is the best way to replace a tooth that is missing?

Fillings close the hole and restore the function of the tooth. If a tooth is missing a large portion, a dental inlay can replace the missing part of the tooth. This restoration is often stronger and more durable than a dental filling.

What to do if your tooth is cracked?

Your dentist may recommend a crown, root canal, or tooth extraction. If your dentist thinks a crown is best, a filling material can repair the crack. If the inside of your tooth is damaged, your dentist may suggest a root canal to remove the damaged tissue.

Why do my molars crack?

Cracks are a common occurrence for your molars because they are in the back and side of your mouth and absorb most of the force when you chew. Eating hard types of foods (like hard candy) and chewing on ice can lead to a cracked tooth that needs repair. Grinding your teeth can too.

How to stop a crack in your tooth from hurting?

Here’s what you should do until your dentist can see you. If you’re in pain, make a note of where your pain is coming from. Avoid chewing on that side to keep the crack from worsening. Keep hot and cold liquids away from that area.

Why do you need to keep up with a dental check up?

Another reason why keeping up with routine check-ups is vital. If the crack has gone beyond the enamel, treatment will be needed to prevent problems such as an infection or a deeper fracture.

What is a crack in a tooth called?

If your dentist discovers your crack is a minor one that only affects your tooth's hardened outer layer, he or she may decide you don’t need anything done. These are referred to as craze lines, which are hairline fractures.

Can grinding your teeth hurt?

Grinding your teeth can too. You may not know the exact moment when it happens. It isn’t always painful when it does. If you experience pain or sensitivity while chewing or eating or drinking hot or cold foods, you may have a crack. Please make an appointment with your dental professional to have it checked out.

Is a dental exam a substitute for professional advice?

It is not intended to be a substitute for professional advice, diagnosis or treatment. Always seek the advice of your dentist or other qualified healthcare provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition or treatment.

How to fix a broken tooth?

Rinse your mouth with salt water. If the break has caused a sharp or jagged edge, cover it with a piece of wax paraffin or sugarless chewing gum to keep it from cutting your tongue or the inside of your lip or cheek. If you must eat, eat soft foods and avoid biting down on the broken tooth.

What is the best way to cover a broken tooth?

If a large piece of tooth breaks off or the tooth has a lot of decay, the dentist may grind or file away part of the remaining tooth and cover it with a crown, or tooth-shaped cap, made to protect the tooth and improve its appearance.

How to care for a chipped tooth?

How to Care for a Chipped or Broken Tooth. If your tooth is broken, chipped, or fractured, see your dentist as soon as possible. Otherwise, your tooth could be damaged further or become infected, possibly causing you to end up losing the tooth. In the meantime, try the following self-care measures:

What is a veneer for a broken tooth?

A dental veneer is a thin shell of tooth-colored porcelain or resin composite material that covers the whole front of the tooth (much like a false nail covers a fingernail) with a thicker section to replace the broken part of the tooth.

How do dentists bond teeth?

To bond a tooth, the dentist first etches its surface with a liquid or gel to roughen it and make the bonding material stick to it. Next, the dentist applies an adhesive material to the tooth followed by a tooth-colored resin.

What causes a tooth to break?

Falling, receiving a blow to the face, or biting down on something hard -- particularly if a tooth already has some decay -- can cause a tooth to chip or break. If you discover you have broken or chipped a tooth, don't panic. There are many things your dentist can do to fix it.

What is the procedure called when you have a tooth repaired?

If the repair is to a front tooth or can be seen when you smile, your dentist will likely use a procedure called bonding, which uses a tooth-colored composite resin. Bonding is a simple procedure that typically does not require numbing the tooth.

What is the best treatment for a fractured tooth?

Root canal therapy — sometimes, a tooth fracture is deep enough that requires a root canal to help save your tooth. A dental crown will be necessary to help cover and protect your tooth.

How do you know if your molar is cracked?

Symptoms of a Cracked Molar. The most common symptoms of a cracked molar include pain when eating or exposure to high or low-temperature foods. There are other signs your tooth may be cracked that include: Food getting caught when eating. Chronic toothache.

What to do if a tooth is cracked below the gum line?

If a tooth is cracked below the gum line or has a vertical root fracture, specific endodontic surgical procedures can help save the tooth, and a root canal and dental crown will be needed. If the fracture is so large the tooth is non-restorable, then an extraction may be necessary. A tooth can then be replaced with a dental bridge or dental implant.

What causes a tooth to break?

Numerous reasons can cause a tooth to break. Common causes include: 1 Biting down into a hard food 2 Large fillings that break down 3 Untreated tooth decay 4 Clenching and grinding while sleeping or due to stress 5 Brittle teeth following a root canal or large filling that needs a dental crown

Why do you need a crown for a tooth?

A dental crown will cover the entire tooth to give it more protection from biting and chewing forces. Root canal therapy — sometimes, a tooth fracture is deep enough that requires a root canal to help save your tooth. A dental crown will be necessary to help cover and protect your tooth.

What to do if you can't see your dentist?

If you cannot see your dentist immediately, the best remedies to keep your teeth safe temporarily are to avoid hard and crunchy foods and rinse with a warm salt rinse as an antibacterial precaution. You can take an over-the-counter medication like ibuprofen or acetaminophen if needed for pain relief.

What happens when a tooth goes missing?

When the enamel and dentin layers of the tooth that protect the pulp, or nerve, of the tooth go missing, it can cause increased sensitivity to hot and cold foods and spicy or sweet foods.

How long does it take to fix a broken tooth?

Repairing your broken tooth may take weeks or months depending on your treatment. Your dentist will give you a better idea of how long your specific repair might take. For instance:

Why does my tooth crack?

A fractured or cracked tooth occurs due to age, tooth grinding, trauma and other factors. You might not have any symptoms of a fractured tooth. Or you might notice pain, sensitivity and swelling. Your dentist has several methods to treat a fracture, depending on the crack’s location and severity.

What is a cracked tooth called?

A fractured tooth, often called a cracked tooth or cracked tooth syndrome (CTS), is when a crack appears in your tooth. The crack can sometimes be small and harmless. Other times, it can cause your tooth to break or split.

What is a crack in a tooth?

Cracked tooth: A vertical crack runs from the biting surface of your tooth up to your gum line. Sometimes the crack extends into your gum line and root.

How long do cracked teeth last?

With prompt treatment, repaired teeth can last for years and not cause any other issues. But even with treatment, tooth cracks may sometimes continue to get bigger or split. This can result in tooth loss at some point.

Where do fractures occur?

Fractures occur most often on the upper front teeth and the teeth toward the back of your lower jaw (mandibular molars). Though people commonly fracture one tooth, more severe injury or trauma may fracture multiple teeth. People with dental cavities have a higher risk of fracture, even with less severe trauma.

What is the term for the complete removal of a tooth?

Extraction: Complete removal of your tooth. Used when the root and nerves of your tooth show severe damage.