I just got into accident and the impact hit on my front tooth, breaking almost the whole tooth except the root itself. And If I have the broken piece, would the dentist be able to bond it back? I’m going to visit a dentist tmr. Meanwhile, I need some advices and solutions to my broken tooth.
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#1 by PenPress on February 8, 2010 - 5:16 am
Hi CS,
The chances of the dentist bonding it back are slim. However, you never know. Hold on to the piece (in milk) and show it to the dentist tomorrow.
Why the chances are slim ?
1. When the tooth is broken to the gum line, even after attaching it, the outer portion will keep on coming off.
2. The remaining root portion still has the ripped nerve and blood vessels in it. You will develop infection if there is even an attempt to reattach the outer portion without taking that portion of the tissue out with root canal treatment (the nerve treatment).
3. Usually, after the root canal treatment, in these situations, a post is placed inside the canal of the root to get the anchorage before building the whole area up with a filling. Then that is again reshaped to fit a crown or cap to give it a shape of a tooth.
4. Therefore, how much tooth structure is left is a crucial factor. If the root is too short, then you are talking about a losing proposition. It just won’t work out if the ratio of the area to replaced and the remaining root length is too high. In that case, the dentist will advise you to get the root pulled and get it replaced by some artificial means. That can be an implant supported crown, a bridge or a denture.
Then again, you still don’t know what is going to happen. It is hard to give you advice without taking a look at your fractured tooth just like it is hard to make a diagnosis over the phone. So, your best bet will be to go to your dentist first, get evaluated and do what he / she tells you to do.
It is a crucial decision. So, if I were you, I would even seek a second opinion.
#2 by Debbie B on February 8, 2010 - 10:58 am
There is a nerve that runs from the root of your tooth down through the center of your tooth. If you have broken the tooth to the gum line, that nerve has been severed or broken. That nerve keeps the tooth alive.
I work in a root canal office, and we have had people come in with the full tooth, root and all, in a cup of milk and were able to wire the tooth back in (within hours or a day after knocking it out). After a root canal, the re-attaching of the tooth was successful. But a front tooth will eventually turn dark after this type trauma, so extraction and implant sounds like an option.
I don’t think you can bond the broken piece back successfully because the blood supply and nerve to the tooth has been broken.
Take the piece in a cup of milk and let the dentist decide.
Good luck!
#3 by aewalk07 on February 8, 2010 - 3:50 pm
it really depends on how it broke and how bad the root has been effected or exposed… it could be save-able, then again it might have to be taken out all the way. your dr will know. IF you do have to have it removed, look into getting an implant.. little bit more expensive but oh so worth it. its like your own tooth….
#4 by ? on February 8, 2010 - 9:23 pm
hold onto it, ask him tomorrow. i would think so. Kinda like if you went to hospital holding a missing limb, they could stitch it back on =)