Feeling anxious and tense when facing a dental issue is normal, but you must understand that not all tooth problems require Naples, FL, emergency dental care. Many patients are curious to know if a broken tooth is considered a dental emergency. The answer depends on the severity of the problem.
Regardless, a broken tooth needs to be treated. When your enamel, the outermost layer of your tooth, becomes compromised, it will leave the delicate parts within it vulnerable to damage like infection or decay. If the damage is extensive, emergency dental care is necessary.
What to Do With a Broken Tooth
Dentists classify broken teeth in different categories based on their severity. Examples are the following:
Chipped Tooth
A chip in your tooth is considered a minor break as it only affects a small portion of your teeth. This can easily be fixed with enamel reshaping or composite bonding. You don’t have to call your emergency dentist when your primary concern is a chipped tooth. However, you need to schedule an appointment to have it fixed.
Craze Lines
Craze lines are generally cracks you can see in the interior of your tooth and sometimes can migrate to the exterior of a tooth. Dentists don’t typically fix it but rather monitor it to see if the crack widens and starts to compromise the tooth structure. They generally do not require emergency treatment.
Cusp Break
When the break is located on the biting surface of your tooth, you need to have it fixed immediately as it can be painful. It can affect other parts of your tooth, including the tooth roots. Sometimes this can be felt when biting on food in a certain way being uncomfortable even before the tooth itself breaks.
Severe Tooth Breakage
Dentists classify a break as severe if it compromises your pulp chamber. Usually, a crown or root canal therapy is required to treat the break. Sometimes a broken tooth can break down the root of the tooth and nothing but extraction of the tooth can be done.
Seek Naples, FL, Emergency Dental Care for Severe Tooth Breakage
Let your emergency dentist know about your tooth damage. At Gulfside Dental, we focus on patient comfort and satisfaction. We take pride in our team of highly trained and educated dentists in providing you with the best possible dental care in a setting that takes advantage of state-of-the-art technology. Contact us today for an appointment.