My husband broke off his front tooth at the root. Is it possible to save it or will he lose the tooth?
Catherine
Dear Catherine,
It is possible to save a tooth which has broken off, but it depends on a few things. With a tooth broken off at the root, you should be aware that not many dentists know how to do this properly. Plus with increased knowledge and success of dental implants, fewer are willing to try when it is so easy to replace a tooth now.
If you want to try and save it, he’ll need to have a root canal treatment done then have a post added to help support a dental crown. Rotational forces are an added problem when it comes to front teeth. If you want this to have a chance of success, it would help if the dentist places two posts and to make certain he or she uses a flexible post. These two precautions will give it a greater chance of success.
If the Tooth CAn’t be Saved
If it turns out your husband’s tooth cannot be saved, I suggest replacing it with a dental implant. It will be most like him having his natural tooth again. You’ll want to make certain the dentist has post-doctoral implant training. Because it is a front tooth, you’ll also want to make sure the dentist can create beautiful, natural-looking dental crowns. Check out their smile gallery to see what type of results they get.
It will be a cosmetic benefit to your husband to whiten his teeth before his crown is placed. The color of the crown is permanent so it is better if your teeth were the color you want on a long term basis.
This blog is brought to you by Decatur Dentists Drs. Drake and Wallace.