You may not be worried about your broken tooth because it doesn’t hurt, and it has only changed the way your tooth feels a little. But ignoring a broken tooth can have serious consequences. When the protective outer layer of your tooth, your enamel, is compromised from a break, the sensitive inner layer of your tooth can be affected by bacteria and temperature changes. A small break in your tooth can lead to bigger issues if you do not have it examined by the dentist.
Your tooth’s enamel is designed to shield the soft, inner layer of dentin. When your enamel is not in place as a result of erosion or a broken tooth, the tiny canals in the dentin that lead to the tooth’s nerve will leave you with a more sensitive tooth. Cold air, hot drinks, and even brushing your teeth can cause sharp pain. The sensitivity may not be too severe when you first lose your enamel, but as the nerve is exposed more, it becomes inflamed and more disruptive.
When you break your tooth and create an opening in your enamel, you have created a small crack where bacteria and food debris can hide. When you are not able to remove the bacteria, it builds up into plaque and continue to eat away at the enamel with the acid it produces. That little break in your tooth has become a cavity or an infection of the inner layer of your tooth. When the decay reaches the dentin, it will swell, causing you serious pain. Addressing your broken tooth can help you avoid a filling, an invasive root canal treatment, or even an extraction.
Leaving a broken tooth untreated can cause you to put more pressure on surrounding teeth. In normal conditions, pressure is distributed evenly across all your teeth when you chew. When you are unable to use a tooth to chew, the other teeth need to make up the difference, and they wear down faster. You will start to experience jaw pain from uneven pressure and changes in your bite where the teeth meet. The more your bite is affected, the more complex the dental work will need to be to address those changes.
If your tooth is broken near your gums, that tissue will become irritated from the rough or jagged edge of your tooth. If the tooth is not repaired, the gums will escalate from irritated to swollen to infected. When gum tissue is infected, it can lead to loss of bone in that area, leaving your other teeth more vulnerable to damage.
These problems can be avoided by addressing the broken tooth promptly. When you schedule an appointment, the dentist can fix most broken teeth, and you will leave with a tooth that works properly and looks natural. If you treat it quickly, you protect surrounding teeth and gums, so you are helping your mouth stay healthy.
If you have more questions about broken teeth or how addressing them could help you achieve better dental health, make an appointment with the dentist to see your treatment options for broken teeth.