When your tooth is broken, it tampers with the functionality and appearance of your smile. Further, you will never quite know the severity of the damage until you visit a dentist in San Antonio for a comprehensive evaluation.
What Counts as Tooth Breakage?
Breakage can happen at any part of your mouth. A broken tooth can look different, depending on how severely fractured it is. Some of the breakages can be on the exterior of that tooth only damaging the enamel. Those are often the easiest tooth breakages to handle.
However, some types of tooth breakages are more severe and require extensive treatment measures. For example, a deeply cracked tooth will necessitate an emergency dentist in San Antonio to treat the pain and restore your tooth.
Still, another type of tooth breakage can occur without pain. A great example is a tooth broken off at the gum line with no pain.
Causes of Tooth Breakage at The Gum Line Without Pain
Dental pain occurs when the trauma damages the nerve endings within your tooth. Therefore, no pain after a tooth fracture means that it was not deep enough to sever the nerve endings and soft tissues. Some of the factors that can cause tooth breakage at the gum line without pain are:
- Large dental fillings – although a dental filling is meant to restore and repair your damaged tooth, its size matters. A large dental filling can weaken your tooth, making it vulnerable to breakage.
- Teeth grinding (bruxism) – is a condition that occurs in patients involuntarily at night. The force of grinding teeth through the night places unnecessary pressure and tension on teeth, which can cause breakage.
- Dental trauma – intense physical activity, especially directed to your head, can cause fractures.
- A root canal – is an invasive procedure that can sometimes weaken a tooth, making it susceptible to fractures.
- Poor oral habits – like chewing gum or crushing ice
Dealing with Tooth Broken off at Gum Line with No Pain
The first thing you must understand about dental fractures is that you need the intervention of a dental expert whether or not you experience pain. At Sonrisa Dental, we treat all broken teeth as serious oral problems. However, if you are in pain, you need more urgent care. Some of the tips to help you deal with a broken tooth at the gum line even though you do not experience any pain are:
- Rinse your mouth with warm saltwater – it will flush out all debris and rid your mouth of bacteria that may threaten an infection.
- Avoid eating anything until you have fully assessed that situation. More importantly, avoid any hard foods that may worsen the tooth fracture.
- Call or visit a dentist soon.
Why do You Need to See a Dentist for A Tooth Fracture?
Just because you feel no pain does not mean you don’t need your dentist. Some of the reasons why you need to visit your dentist immediately after you notice a fractured tooth above or below the gum line are:
- Deepening and widening of the fracture
- Increased risk of dental cavities
- Frequent dental accidents – you can easily bite your tongue or hurt your inner cheeks with a broken tooth.
How Do Dentists Treat Such Teeth?
Many dentists recommend extracting a tooth broken at the gum line. Ideally, the damage that is beneath the gums can cause many other avoidable complications. Besides, if the tooth is broken at the gum line, there is little room for it to be saved. Instead, your dentist will have you look into tooth replacement alternatives, including dental implants, bridges, and dentures.
Still, it is possible to save a tooth broken off at the gum line, usually if a substantial amount of the tooth remains. The dentist must evaluate the health of the remaining tooth fragment to determine whether a root canal procedure can help save the tooth.