Fractured Tooth Treatment in Indianapolis

Fractured Tooth Treatment

A fractured tooth is a tooth that has a crack. The tooth may cause
mild, severe, or no pain. People who experience no pain may notice an
increased sensitivity to temperature changes such as cold or hot drinks.
For those who experience pain, it may be accompanied by swelling of the
gum around the affected tooth.

What causes a tooth to fracture?

  • Wear and tear, especially as we age.

  • Biting hard foods, such as popcorn kernels.

  • Habits, such as teeth grinding.

  • Damaged filling.

  • Trauma, including falls, sports injuries, bike accidents, car
    accidents, or physical altercations.

Types of Fractures

To understand the types of cracks, we look at the structure of a
tooth. A tooth consists of two parts: the crown and the roots. These
parts consist of three layers, the enamel, dentin, and pulp.

Craze lines – Very small cracks that appear
in the outer enamel. These can be left untreated if they cause no
pain.

Fractured cusp – Usually appears on a
dental filling.

Cracks that extend into the gum line –
These begin on the biting surface and extend into the gum line. In this
case, the tooth is extracted.

Split tooth – This fracture splits the
tooth into two. Sometimes, one part of the tooth can be saved.

Vertical root fracture – The fracture
begins at the root and travels upward. Symptoms may manifest much later
when the tooth is already damaged by infection.

Treatment for a fractured tooth

Bonding

Bonding is a procedure that uses tooth-colored plastic resin to
fill-in tooth fractures.

Dental Crown

A crown fits over the fracture and prevents it from spreading. It is
made of porcelain or ceramic.

Root Canal

If the fracture damaged the pulp, a root canal procedure removes the
dead pulp tissues and saves the tooth.

Tooth Extraction

The tooth is completely removed if the fracture severely affected the
nerves and root.

It is possible for a fractured tooth to show no symptoms. If you
sustained an injury or suspect your tooth may have fractured, visit your
dentist. If you still have concerns about fractured teeth, symptoms, and
treatments call us for a consultation.