Emergency Broken Tooth Appointment in London
The enamel is the tough, highly calcified protective outer covering of the tooth – enamel functions to protect the tooth from the harsh oral environment and maintain its form and structure. However, enamel also has its limits and can chip off or break under certain conditions, resulting in a jagged, sharp tooth edge and tenderness. Do not hesitate to book an emergency broken tooth appointment with our dentists or specialists.
What causes broken or chipped tooth?
- Chipped teeth can result from biting down on a hard substance, like hard candies, nuts, bones or ice.
- Trauma to teeth because of a fall or a blow to the (due to a road traffic accident, for example).
- Playing contact sports without a mouth guard or getting hit on the face by a football.
- Bruxism (clenching of teeth during sleep) generates enormous pressure on your teeth. Chronic jaw clenching weakens teeth and can lead to a fracture of the tooth.
- Teeth can also chip when they are weakened due to wear and tear. Dental cavities can weaken the tooth structure making it more likely to chip off. Large dental cavities disrupt the tooth structure’s integrity, making them susceptible to breakage even on minimal trauma or chewing.
- Conditions like acid reflux bring stomach acid to your mouth, which damages the tooth enamel. Once the tooth enamel is damaged, the tooth becomes weak and loses its integrity, making it prone to chipping and breakage.
- The consumption of acidic foods and liquids.
- Large fillings also weaken teeth, putting them at risk of breakage and chipping.
- Age, as with advanced age, teeth’s structure alters and often cracks.
Symptoms of chipped or broken tooth
- If the chip is minor, you may not experience any symptoms and may not realise you have a chipped tooth. However, sometimes the chip may involve a larger surface which produces specific symptoms.
- A chipped or a broken tooth will give a jagged, rough feeling when you run your tongue over it.
- A chipped tooth will also constantly irritate the tongue.
- The gums around the chipped tooth will be irritated and inflamed, leading to significant discomfort and pain.
- You might experience stabbing pain when biting down.
- A broken tooth will produce pain during biting and chewing, and it will intensify when you release the bite. This happens when the fracture of the tooth has exposed the nerve.
- You will have increased sensitivity to hot, cold and sweet foods and liquids.
A chipped tooth is always at the risk of breaking and getting infected, which may necessitate invasive procedures in the future. The infection from a broken tooth can also infect your jawbone. A fractured tooth makes it impossible to chew and hampers your everyday life. A broken or chipped tooth, especially a front tooth, also compromises your smile and can make you conscious while talking in general or in social situations. Therefore, it is essential to get your chipped, broken tooth treated by our board-certified dentist in London to avoid the dangers of a broken and a chipped tooth.
Treatment for a chipped tooth
If your chipped tooth segment is significantly large, our dentists can reattach it to your tooth with dental cement. If the chipped piece cannot be reattached, we will use dental resins to rebuild the lost tooth structure and restore the tooth’s functionality and appearance. A UV light is used to harden the dental resin. In cases of severe damage, a straightforward reconstruction may not be the best solution. Our specialists may advise you to opt for an alternative treatment of your choice in such an instance. This might be a composite or a porcelain veneer.
Treatment for broken tooth
A broken or cracked tooth can also be restored with dental resins, hardened by UV light. In severe destruction cases and exposure of nerves, our dentist will opt for a root canal treatment followed by a dental crown to restore the tooth’s shape, size, appearance, and functionality. A porcelain or zirconia crown is tooth coloured and a conservative approach to repair the broken tooth, which is cosmetically superior and appealing. However, sometimes a cracked tooth cannot be saved because the destruction is too intense; in such a case, the only option is to extract the remaining tooth structure and replace it with a dental bridge or the much superior dental implant option.
What to do when you break or chip your tooth?
When you break or chip your tooth, you should save the chipped fragment in milk and then schedule an emergency appointment with our dentists and specialists by giving us a call. If you have associated swelling, use an ice pack over the area. Be careful of what you eat – no hard substances. You can opt for over-the-counter painkillers to deal with toothache until you visit us at our clinic in London. If you have a chipped, cracked or broken tooth, do not delay your visit to our dental office. Call us, and we will schedule an emergency appointment for you as soon as possible.