Did you know that our teeth’ outermost covering, enamel, is the strongest substance in the human body? Yes, it is even stronger than the bone. That is why our teeth can resist heavy forces and sustain the brunt of regular wear and tear with ease.

However, sometimes even our teeth can get fractured or knocked out of the socket. When a tooth breaks or chips away, it is known as a tooth fracture. Dental avulsion is when the tooth is loosened and comes out of its socket, primarily due to external trauma. 

This post will discuss what you need to know about tooth fractures and dental avulsions. 

Causes

One of the biggest reasons for broken or knocked-out teeth is direct injury to the facial region. A sudden force can break away the tooth or knock it out of the socket. This can happen during traffic accidents, experiencing a fall, or getting hit on the face by, let’s say, a football while playing. 

A tooth can also chip away or fracture when you bite on hard food and substances or, let’s say, try to open a bottle with the help of your teeth.

Risk Factors

There are certain factors that can make you more susceptible to suffering from a broken tooth. 

• A tooth that is decayed is more prone to breaking even under normal forces. This is because the tooth’s structural integrity gets compromised, making it prone to fractures. 
• An incomplete root canal-treated tooth is also susceptible to breaking under even the slightest of heavy forces. 
• Large fillings.
• Teeth that are affected by attrition are also more susceptible to breakage. 
• Teeth grinding and jaw clenching. 
• Poor gum health can make the teeth lose, which means they can be more easily knocked out in cases of any injury to the face.
• Advanced age also weakens the tooth structure.

Symptoms 

The symptoms of a broken or knocked-out tooth will vary with the severity of the injury. Let’s take a look at these individually. 

 Fractured Teeth

If the tooth has just suffered a minor injury or gets chipped, it is most likely not to show any symptoms. The edge of the affected tooth or teeth will appear rough when you run your tongue over it. However, in cases when the fracture is more extensive, like in cases of crown fractures or vertical fractures where the tooth splits into two, it can have the following symptoms –

• The affected tooth will be painful, especially when you bite down and release. 
• The pain will be more intense in cases where the inside of the tooth, the pulp, is exposed. 
• Teeth sensitivity to hot, cold, sweet, and acidic foods and liquids. 
• Difficulties in chewing. 
• The gums surrounding the broken tooth will be inflamed, swollen, and tender.

Dental Avulsions

In dental avulsions, the tooth comes out of its socket completely. This will lead to bleeding from the empty socket and pain. In most cases, the surrounding gums may also be injured and bleeding. A knocked-out tooth or dental avulsion is an emergency and requires the immediate attention of a dentist.

What To Do If Your Tooth Breaks Or Gets Knocked Out?

The first thing you must do is reach out to us, and we will schedule an emergency dental appointment for you. In the stopgap, bite down gently on a piece of cotton or soft cloth to stop the bleeding. If your tooth is completely out, make sure you find it. Please pick it up gently and store it in a container filled with cold milk. This will keep the tooth moist and prevent it from dying.

Please do not try to clean the tooth or fix it back on your own. The first 30-45 minutes after suffering from a dental avulsion are crucial as the tooth can still be saved at this stage. All you need to do is save the tooth and swiftly come to the dental office. 

Treatment 

Broken and avulsed teeth are almost always an emergency and must be treated as such. The treatment will depend on the type of injury. 

Broken teeth

If the broken part of the tooth segment is relatively large but hasn’t exposed the tooth’s core, that is, the dental pulp, a dental filling will be advised. After a thorough oral examination accompanied by x-rays, your dentist will clean the tooth surface and begin building the broken tooth structure with the help of dental composite resins. 

Dental composite resins are tooth-colored and ensure superior and natural-looking aesthetics. The tooth will be built in sections, and each section will be exposed to UV light for proper hardening. Once the tooth has been built sufficiently, your dentist will check for proper bite and polish it to give a natural appearance. 

In cases of more severe damage, a dental crown becomes essential to ensure restorations of proper function, size, shape, and aesthetics of the tooth. 

In cases where the injury has exposed the dental pulp, a root canal treatment will be carried out, usually followed by the placement of a dental crown for proper strength and aesthetics. 

However, in some cases, where the tooth has a vertical fracture, is split or broken from below the gum line, the only option remaining is to extract it and replace it with the help of dental bridges or, better yet, dental implants. 

Dental Avulsions

If you reach the dental clinic in time, your dentist will examine the tooth and the empty socket. If the tooth is in good condition, they will carefully clean it and place it back into the socket. The tooth is then splinted with the remaining strong teeth, which stabilizes it and helps it heal. 

In some cases, where more time has elapsed, your dentist will perform a root canal treatment on the affected teeth before re-implanting in back into the socket. 

However, if more than 60 minutes have passed, the success of a re-implantation is low, and in such cases, the tooth will be discarded. The gum socket will be cleaned and allowed to heal. This is later followed by replacement with the help of dental bridges or implants.

Time is of the essence in dental injuries, as any delay can lead to you losing your teeth. If you have any questions or would like to schedule an emergency appointment, please reach out to us. Our team of excellent dental professionals will be there to assist you in your journey to better oral health.