Have you been involved in an accident? Are you suffering from dental pain? Have you noticed that your tooth feels weak? The teeth are very strong, but they aren’t invincible, and occasionally, they do break. Sports injuries, trauma and even biting down on hard foods can contribute to dental fractures. If you’ve got a broken tooth, we’re here to help.

Restoring a broken tooth

The treatments we use to restore the tooth will depend on the severity of damage to the tooth. If you just have a chipped tooth, we can usually repair this very quickly and simply with a filling or by using a procedure called dental bonding. If the tooth is broken, and the damage is more extensive, we may suggest crowning the tooth.

A dental crown is a type of restoration, which can be used to patch up and strengthen teeth that are decayed or broken. A crown is sometimes known as a cap as it is placed over the top of the tooth. Crowns can be made from a range of materials, but most people opt for ceramic crowns, as they produce the most natural aesthetics. We usually fit a crown over the course of two sessions. Once your dentist has X-rayed the tooth to learn more about the fracture, they will prepare the tooth and make a mould, which will be used to create your custom crown. When your crown is ready, we will invite you back and we will fit in and secure it in position. Crowns should last around 5 years provide that they are well looked-after.

Preventing dental injuries

It’s not possible to avoid every accident, but there are some simple ways you can lower the risk of dental injuries, including:

• Wearing a mouth guard when you play sport
• Always wearing a seat belt
• Not using your teeth to open bottle tops or tear off labels
• Avoiding foods that are very hard like boiled sweets