Not many people consider their molars to be fragile. After all, your molars are made to crush and grind the hardest bits of food. They’re super strong and can exert a great deal of force when needed. But what if you accidentally chomp down on something too hard and are left behind with a half-broken molar tooth?
As unlikely as it may seem, it’s not impossible. Whether it’s your molars or front teeth taking the fall, a tooth breaking in half is considered serious. Even more so if the remaining half is stuck under the gumline.
Before you start running around in circles, panicking, let us stop you right there! Despite the pain and surprise of the cracked tooth, there are plenty of ways you can fix it.
How Does a Molar Break in Half?
It doesn’t matter if you’ve just broken your molar in half or want to prevent it from happening to you. It’s vital to know what acts can lead to such disastrous results.
For molars, especially, numerous reasons can trigger them to break. Despite having the strongest enamel coating on them, your molars aren’t exactly invincible.
Nonetheless, here are some of the most common reasons behind a half-broken molar tooth.
- Dental or facial trauma.
- Aggressively biting down on something that is too hard or rough, like candy, ice, pen, etc.
- Suffering from a serious fall or getting hit in the jaw.
- Using teeth to bite or rip something off.
- Untreated cavities.
- The habit of constantly grinding teeth or clenching jaw.
- Incorrect or failed dental filling treatment.
What to Do If Your Tooth Breaks In Half At The Gumline?
The good part is that no matter how severe the injury is, your dentist will have a way to treat your broken molar.
However, the instant your molar or tooth breaks, look out for pain. If there’s no pain or bleeding, you can just use a cold compress to avoid facial swelling. But if your tooth broke in half and it’s black inside, it could be due to tooth decay. This will require urgent dental care, so make sure to rush over to your dentist immediately.
How Do You Fix a Half-Broken Molar Tooth?
Unfortunately, there’s no way you can fix a half-broken tooth on your own. It requires a dentist to do the job.
Chances are, depending on the severity of your broken molar, the dentist will suggest any of the following treatments:
- Dental Bonding
- Dental Crown Placement
- Root Canal Therapy
- Tooth Extraction
- Cracked or Broken Tooth Repair
What’s The Takeaway?
Even though it’s rare for you to come across a half-broken molar tooth, it’s still a serious case of a dental emergency. If ever faced with such an injury, act quickly. Apply an ice-cold compress to reduce swelling, and rinse your mouth with a saltwater solution. This will stop the bleeding. Then, once you’re done, contact Modena Dentistry at (346) 966-3362. You can also hurry over to our dental office in case of an emergency. You can find us at 6915 Farm to Market 1960 Rd W Suite G, Houston, TX 77069. It’s only a minute’s walk away from the T-Mobile outlet.