There are a few cases where you don’t need to treat broken teeth, though it’s imperative that you leave that up to a dentist to determine. For example, you might notice tiny vertical lines in your front teeth. Known as craze lines, these are a normal result of wear and tear and are considered harmless, but your dentist will monitor them at each of your exams to make sure they stay that way. Small chips on the edges of the teeth don’t necessarily need to be treated, either, though they may be sharp and hurt your tongue.
Other than these minor fractures, however, you should absolutely seek prompt attention from a dentist if you break a tooth. Even if it doesn’t seem that severe, a broken or cracked tooth definitely won’t heal itself, and even minor cracks can easily worsen with use. If a small fracture grows, or if the tooth is seriously broken, when the pulp inside the tooth is exposed, you face a serious risk of dangerous infection that can spread throughout the blood vessels and possibly permanent damage to the nerves that can lead to chronic oral pain. Clearly, there’s no benefit to leaving a broken tooth, but there’s more than a fair amount of risk.
Sometimes, it’s obvious a person has a broken tooth, if the fracture is visible or if it occurs because of an impact. Other times, there could be a minimally cracked area that’s less visible; these are harder to detect, but they can lead to just as much damage. Signs of a possibly cracked tooth include swelling around the tooth, generalized pain or sensitivity around the tooth, sharp pain when biting down on food, and noticeable looseness or motion in the tooth. If you notice any of these symptoms, call your dentist and explain your symptoms; they may want to see you sooner rather than later, especially if you’re in pain. Over time, small fractures in the teeth can grow larger and harder to treat, but there are a few effective methods dentists use to repair and preserve the teeth. These include bonding with dental resin, protecting the tooth with a dental crown, using fillings to replace tissue lost to tooth decay, or using veneers to restore cracks on the fronts of the teeth.
Normally, the outer layer of the tooth, the enamel, protects the inner chamber of pulp that nestles inside a thick middle layer of dentin. When the enamel and dentin are compromised, the pulp, full of nerve endings and blood, signals pain and becomes vulnerable to infection. The longer a broken tooth goes untreated, the more susceptible it is to infection, and the more pain you’ll be in. When an infection in a tooth goes untreated, it’s not only painful; it can also lead to systemic infections that could ultimately affect the entire bloodstream and even be life-threatening. If you leave a broken tooth untreated, the pulp inside the tooth grows more and more susceptible to infection. Treating a broken tooth seeks to reassemble the tooth, ideally maintaining the vital pulp that keeps it alive; when the pulp is infected, it is removed in a root canal procedure, and the goal then becomes maintaining the root and dentin structure of the natural tooth while restoring its external layer with a dental crown. When damage to the tooth has progressed and the tooth is beyond repair, you and your dentist will discuss extraction and dental restoration options – but don’t let it get to that point. The sooner you see your dentist if you have a broken tooth, the happier you’ll be with the outcome.