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Posted on 3/20/2020 by Young Jun DDS MD FACS |
 Wisdom teeth are the last molars located on each side of both your upper and lower jaws and are the final teeth to come in or erupt. They generally begin to appear in a person's late teens or early twenties and commonly emerge crooked or only partially, leading to overcrowded teeth that can cause pain. In addition, wisdom teeth are hard to reach when brushing and flossing and often don't get the oral care they need when they are causing no other oral health problems. This can lead to decay and deterioration of your wisdom teeth that may eventually result in a broken tooth while chewing your food. What to Do If You Break a Wisdom ToothThe first thing you should do when a wisdom tooth is broken is call our office to schedule an appointment as soon as possible. If the break has caused a hole, your tooth is much more vulnerable to decay and bacteria that can cause infections in your tooth, gums, jawline and even your brain. We will examine an x-ray of your broken wisdom tooth to determine the severity of damage and the most effective treatment(s). Waiting until there is significant pain may make saving the tooth impossible and it will need to be extracted. Treatment Options for a Broken Wisdom ToothWe will consider multiple factors when deciding which treatment is appropriate for your broken wisdom tooth, including whether it is impacted and if it is situated in your mouth so that it helps you chew. If your tooth isn't causing complications and it's helping you chew, we may recommend saving it with either a crown or a filling. Never let a broken wisdom tooth go unexamined. We may be able to save the tooth if the damage is detected in time, so contact our office immediately if you experience a broken wisdom tooth. |
