I Broke My Tooth!
Our practice is proud of our ability to treat almost all dental problems in a therapeutic and expert manner and in an efficient way. We look at our schedule on most days and along with the patient’s name are the words “broken tooth.”
When it is a front tooth or a painful tooth, patients want a quick solution as well as the best solution. Broken teeth can sometimes be filled, but when they are broken off at the gum line or at least ½ of the tooth is gone, we usually opt for a more complete solution. Pain from a broken tooth may mean a root canal or extraction is necessary, but certainly that is not always the case. Food packing around a broken tooth can hurt. Also, a fractured tooth in which the broken segment is still partially attached to the body of the tooth is painful when touched.
So simply stated, a broken tooth usually can be filled or crowned if pain is not present. However, long term decay sometimes is not painful, but may cause an exposed pulp (living area of soft tissue inside the tooth) necessitating root canal therapy or extraction.
Because we do root canals, build up the tooth, and make crowns, we can usually have the patient walk out with a tooth the same day even when the problem is severe. I find it very satisfying to turn that sort of solution around quickly. If the tooth must be extracted, a bridge, implant, or temporary partial can be placed the same day to get the patient “back in the game of life.” Because we have expertise in all these areas, we can accomplish the necessary care quickly and well. Most teeth can be filled or crowned and we always “inform before we perform.”
Many teeth that must be extracted can have a fixed bridge placed on the adjacent teeth on the same day as the extraction as a temporary measure while the permanent fixed bridge is made a few weeks later. The patient never has to leave the office without teeth. Implant cases can be placed the same day as an extraction in many cases, but we can make a temporary partial within a few hours if same day implant and crown is not possible at the time of implant placement.
Dr. Robert Berger started Berger Dental Group and can be reached at office@bergerdg.com. For more information visit us at www.BergerDentalGroup.com or call us at (803) 787-9793.
