Is Your Toothache Actually A Tooth Fracture?
Some tooth injuries are extremely painful while some may take a long time to start hurting. One type of sudden tooth injury that can cause excruciating pain is called a tooth fracture. A tooth fracture can happen whether you sustain facial trauma or not, so learning the signs of this injury is important.
Hot Soup + Ice Cream = Tooth Fracture
In most cases, tooth fractures occur in the front, upper teeth. When you bite down into food, your front teeth are the taking and giving a great deal of pressure. A fracture causes a crack in the hard, enamel coating of a tooth. In some cases, cold foods like ice cream can fracture a tooth if you eat it directly after eating something hot like a bowl of soup.
Hot and cold temperature changes are more likely to crack teeth that have been compromised by issues like cavities. Other causes of tooth fractures include:
- Biting down on hard foods like candy and ice.
- Aging increases the risk of weaker tooth structure, thus also increasing your risk of tooth fractures.
- Bruxism, a condition describing a tooth grinding habit, can weaken teeth and increase their risk of fracture.
Emergency Dental Treat Options For Tooth Fractures
The type of treatment necessary for your tooth fracture will depend on a few factors. If the tooth is not cracked all the way down to the pulp, you may be a candidate for a tooth filling. However, crack reaching the pulp could require root canal treatment. If you feel a sharp pain in one of your teeth and there are no visible signs of a cavity, you could be suffering from a crack inside the tooth that has reached the pulp and the nerves in it.
Facial Trauma And Tooth Fractures
If you have sustained a facial injury, you might also be suffering from the pain associated with a fractured tooth. If your jaw or other facial bones were broken, you may have also endured tooth fractures as well as other dental injuries like chipped and broken teeth.
Your treatment for fractured teeth can be done at the same time as some other dental procedures like root canals. However, if you must have maxillofacial surgery for an injury like a broken jaw, your dental professional can give you more details about fractured tooth repairs taking place during the surgery for your jaw.
One good way to avoid longer suffering with a dental emergency is locating an emergency care dentist before you have to. Keeping your emergency dentist's number in a handy place is important, especially if you suffer a sudden, painful tooth fracture. To learn more, contact a company such as Family Dentistry Of Brick, PA with any questions or concerns you have.