I remember reading “A thousand splendid suns” by Khalid Hussein and there was this scene that still traumatizes me. One of the characters on finding a stone in his food ordered his wife to get a handful of pebbles and chew them. The way the writer describes the scene, the cracking of stones and teeth, the blinding pain and the blood still gives me chills. Which is probably why I will not read that book again, which is why anyone who has felt the discomfort of a broken tooth is much more careful in the future.

Teeth can break due to different reasons. One maybe punched in the face or they may fall on their face or they may bite too hard on equally hard food and so on. Sometimes one may not feel any pain apart from the horror of seeing part of tooth fall out or be swallowed and other times, the pain can be excruciating. This is why they are taken to be emergencies.

Thankfully, dentistry and technology have both evolved sufficiently so as to have treatment options for broken teeth. Restoration of a broken tooth to its former or as close as possible to it brings about restored form and function. This greatly improves one’s quality of life. The dentist will recommend treatment options as he sees fit for your particular case.

1. Dental Crown

A crown of a tooth is that part that is seen above the gum. Crowns are artificial replacements for the natural one if it has been sufficiently destroyed. There are a number of types of crowns and choice depends on availability and cost. We shall explore these more in the future.

2. Veneers

These are thin shells of tooth colored porcelain or resin composite material that are placed on your tooth to restore appearance. They are especially beneficial for the anterior teeth and can give quite the smile if done well.

3. Root canal therapy

In case the pulp has been damaged, the dentist can do a root canal on the tooth to eliminate the pain and then treating it further as needed.

4. Dental Implant

If the tooth is quite destroyed, it may be extracted and a dental implant put in its place. The implant functions and looks like a natural tooth.

5. Composite

If the tooth is not too damaged, the dentist can rebuild it using a resin composite material. This material is sufficiently strong and looks like the natural tooth and is hence a great option.