Broken Teeth - What to Do With Them

By Justin Morgan Tuttle

Have you ever wondered what it's like living without your teeth? Well, the teeth are an important part of the human body. It is responsible for the first stage of digestion- mastication. Without it, we would be living on water, which in reality lacks the nutrition we need.

A child is born without any teeth. Slowly, he will develop 20 teeth. This set is referred to as milk teeth or baby teeth. These set of teeth will be replaced one by one by a permanent set of teeth as the child reaches the later stages. The new set of teeth is normally composed of 32 irreplaceable teeth. Sometimes the number varies since some people may not have "wisdom teeth" while others may develop supernumerary teeth. While the person gets older, the teeth are exposed to different microorganisms causing cavities and dental infections. This would lead to broken teeth.

Broken teeth are pretty common especially for active people. During workouts, their teeth are exposed to the risk of getting hit; thus, getting damaged. There various types of damages which depends on its extent.

The teeth have layers: the enamel, the dentin, the pulp, and the cementum. Below this is already the nerve. When the damage is only within the enamel, pain is usually not felt. However, if the damage goes deep into the teeth, a stabbing pain is felt. Usually, when the broken teeth can no longer be fixed externally, a root canal is needed. However, there are many other types of treatments for disparate types of damages.

A minor crack is a fracture on the surface of the teeth. In this type of damage, treatments are not required. Next are chips. Chips also do not require treatment. But some maybe advised to find a cure since the damage may get worse and eventually lead to removal of the teeth. Then, there are cusp fractures. These are fractures on the surface of the teeth. Normally, it affects one's chewing that is why dental crowns are placed. Also there are serious fractures. This type of damage already reaches the nerves. Serious fractures may lead to infection. Medical attention must be sought as soon as possible. These are just a few of common types of broken teeth.

There are various types of treatments for broken teeth. For minor fractures, fillings are sufficed. However, for more serious fractures, dental crowns are applied to the broken teeth. It is very seldom that fillings would work for severe fractures. For severe fractures, the dentist will not only apply a crown, but he will also conduct an operation. The exposed or damaged nerve and vessel must be removed in order to prevent infection. In some cases, periodontal surgery is required. This type of treatment does not only depend on the severity of the damage, it also depends on the compatibility of the cure to the patient. This is because the structure and arrangement of every person's teeth may be different.

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