broken tooth Archives - Dr. Duane Delaune's Blog

I slipped and fell on the ice last weekend. Unfortunately, my face broke my fall. I wound up with a black eye and a serious chunk of one of my front teeth missing. I went to the emergency dentist to have it checked out. He took x-rays and told me the tooth looked like it was ok structurally. Then, he patched it up and told me to follow up with my regular dental office to have it permanently fixed and checked on again later. I don’t want to waste time and money on another appointment if it isn’t necessary and it looks like he used the same stuff that’s usually used in fillings. Do I really need to go back or can I just let this one be? The patch job by the emergency dentist looks just fine to me. — Don

Dear Don,
Glad to hear you’re mostly ok after the fall. As for the tooth, the emergency dentist probably did use the same composite material that’s normally used in fillings. If that’s the case, it could last years, perhaps even decades.

With that said, there’s probably more to this than simple bonding. First of all, the tooth was traumatized. Sometimes when a tooth is injured by blunt force, it doesn’t give off any symptoms right away. However, the blood flow to the tooth could have been cut off and that wouldn’t show up on x-rays. If this is the case, the tooth could be dead or dying, and it will eventually need a root canal. Unfortunately, the first sign this has happened is often pain or an abscess, though sometimes the person notices discoloration as well. Anytime you see an emergency dentist, he’ll refer you back to your regular office for a follow-up. In cases with trauma, having the dentist check out the tooth again later could save you a lot of pain and trouble.

As for your comment about having the tooth permanently fixed, could he have mentioned to you that the tooth needed a crown? If the chip was severe, the bonding won’t be adequate and the tooth will need all-around protection. Your best bet is to follow the advice of the emergency dentist and schedule a visit with your regular office to get it checked out. If you’re still wary, you can always call the office that did the work and clarify why he wanted you to follow up.

This post is sponsored by New Orleans cosmetic dentist Dr. Duane Delaune. Read more about why many consider Dr. Delaune to be the best dentist in New Orleans.

My mom and I have differing opinions on wearing protective gear when I go long boarding. She’s always nagging me to be safe, but I don’t want to wear the stuff… it’s just not cool. Well, I guess I should have listened to her because today I face-planted right into the cement and broke off a small piece of my front tooth. There’s no way I can tell her what happened! I’m not quite seventeen, but I’m wondering if I can see an emergency dentist without her knowing? It doesn’t look that bad, so is it a big deal if I don’t even have it looked at? — Jeremy

Jeremy,
While it may seem that you are trying to step up and act responsibly to take care of this on your own, it might be best to re-think the situation and tell your mom what happened. The choice is yours, but she will probably see that as being more responsible than trying to take care of it behind her back.

With that said, there are laws in place that don’t allow people under a certain age to consent themselves to medical treatment and in most states that is age 18. An emergency dentist is going to want your mom or another consenting adult to be present and sign the consent for your treatment.

It’s obvious that your mom cares for you or she wouldn’t have bugged you so much about wearing the gear. She may be upset at first, but her main concern will be to protect you and help you find the right dentist to fix your tooth. Plus, your family probably has dental insurance which will help cover much of the cost. Without it, you may have to pay hundreds of dollars more and also have a full cash payment.

You definitely need to see a dentist. While it might seem like a simple chip on your tooth, your dentist will want to do an x-ray just to be sure there is no other damage beneath the surface. Take the high road and tell mom – you’ll feel better about it in the end and have your smile back in no time!

This post is sponsored by New Orleans cosmetic dentist Dr. Duane Delaune. Read more about why many consider Dr. Delaune to be the best dentist in New Orleans.