What happens if you leave a broken tooth?
If you are living with a broken tooth, and you have not considered replacement options yet, you should immediately. The longer you live with missing or broken teeth, the more problems may compound. Missing and broken teeth lead to more tooth loss, dental decay, gum disease, and even jaw disorders. You may be worried about where to go to replace a tooth, how much it will cost, and how urgently you need to replace one. The most important factor is that you remedy the situation soon.
What causes broken teeth?
A broken tooth can often be attributed to one of three causes.
1. Infection- Infection is very, very common. It can be traced back to dental hygiene. Without proper hygiene care, food particles will become lodged in your teeth. Over time those particles will decay, attract bacteria, and enter the gumline. The bacteria will inflame your gums, eventually leading to tooth decay, bleeding, and discharge.
2. Disease- Disease and Infection are not mutually exclusive. Often infection has become so advanced that simple hygiene adjustments will not help the healing process, leading to disease. Disease can also be inherited genetically, or acquired from other conditions. The best prevention for gum disease is still proper hygiene, and frequent dentist visits.
3. Trauma- Accidents happen; people trip, people bump their heads, frisbees go wild. Occasionally, something hits your face and the force damages your tooth or jaw, leading to bone loss. If something happens that breaks your tooth or injures your jaw, you should immediately make an appointment with a dental professional. It will be important to monitor the injury for signs of trauma moving forward. Sometimes, the long term damage of a trip or fall may not present itself until months after the injury.
Why you should not leave a broken tooth
Broken teeth leave gaps in your jaw. For starters, those gaps make your gums vulnerable to bacteria. Exposed sockets provide easy access for food particles and bacteria to enter and infect. Gaps also create areas of your jaw which have no protection from the chewing force of your jaw. The short answer is that broken or missing teeth lead to more tooth loss. Over time this can also lead to temporomandibular joint disorder (TMJ) or cause degradation of your jaw bones, which can actually change the shape of your face.
What you should do when you have a broken or missing tooth
Replace it. Begin by booking a consultation with a dental professional. Look for those in your network, call for advice and appointments, and consider university dental programs if you are uninsured. Make sure your dentist takes a proper x ray to examine the total health of your jaw and gums. Discuss replacement options, materials, cost, and temporary options. In modern dentistry, so many great options are available to replace one or multiple teeth. Consider options like bridges, crowns, implants, or veneers.
Once your replace your tooth, make sure you take care of it. Consult with your dentist and hygienist about routines and products to use to keep your mouth free of harmful bacteria.