When a Tooth Breaks and Hurts: Root Canal Treatment, Crown, and Extraction Implant Depending on the Degree of Fracture at Seoul National University Entrance Station Dental Clinic

Treatment period: 2025.04.21 ~ 2025.08.10

Nice to meet you,

I am Director Park Jeong-gi of Remember Dental Clinic near Seoul National University Entrance Station.

Teeth are among the hard tissues in our body

and are considered very hard.

Because of this, we have been able to enjoy

all kinds of foods with different textures.

It would be nice if this health could last for a lifetime,

but as natural teeth age,

the biting force they have received over time accumulates,

and they can crack or break.

This is referred to as a fracture (Fx, Fracture),

and the treatment method changes depending on

how much Fx there is.

Today, at the dental clinic near Seoul National University Entrance Station,

I will explain a related case.

1. When an existing restoration is fractured

Even in the same person’s mouth,

because each tooth has different properties and functions,

the degree of breakage can also differ.

The first situation I will show is

that the inlay in the lower right second premolar (tooth 45)

was broken.

Over time, starting from the middle area,

which receives the most biting force,

the inlay gradually wore down

and at some point fractured.

Also, plaque accumulated inside it,

and decay developed as well.

In such cases,

at the dental clinic near Seoul National University Entrance Station,

the diagnosis is to remove the existing restoration,

perform root canal treatment, and place a crown.

A broken prosthesis cannot be reattached,

and because deep decay has formed inside,

root canal treatment is performed to relieve pain,

and the tooth is protected by covering it with a crown.

2. When the root is fractured

The next tooth behind it, the first molar (tooth 46),

had a broken root.

Since this tooth plays the most important role in chewing,

it was subjected to a great deal of force,

and as the surrounding bone was resorbed,

inflammation developed,

which eventually led to cracking and breakage.

At this stage, the gums would likely have been very swollen

and the pain severe.

At the dental clinic near Seoul National University Entrance Station,

when there is a root fracture like this,

we recommend extraction and implant placement without delay.

This is because the broken root inside the alveolar bone

cannot be reattached,

and if left as is, the area of infection around it will only spread further.

3. Treatment process

After carefully examining the patient’s current oral condition

and establishing an appropriate diagnosis and plan,

we proceed quickly

to resolve the problem.

Since tooth 46 requires extraction

and an implant must be placed and then left to heal for several months,

we proceeded with the implant surgery first,

taking into account that the overall treatment period would be relatively longer.

At the dental clinic near Seoul National University Entrance Station,

considering that the bone condition was poor due to inflammation,

we placed Osstem’s SOI product.

With its super-hydrophilic surface,

it promotes clot formation,

accelerates osseointegration,

and shortens the treatment period.

We used a fixture with these advantages.

It is suitable for patients with systemic conditions such as diabetes or high blood pressure,

or for those with thin or weak jawbone or weakened gums due to aging.

And while waiting for the fixture to integrate,

the existing inlay in tooth 45 was removed,

root canal treatment was performed,

and a crown was placed.

This process typically takes about 1 month to 1.5 months,

but since we need time for osseointegration anyway,

at the dental clinic near Seoul National University Entrance Station,

we also consider this loading period and treat patients in order.^^

4. Completion of the prosthetics

When you look at the state after all treatment is completed,

you can see that the posterior area, which had bone loss and inflammation,

has regained its health.

Because the bone condition was so poor,

we had no choice but to place it deeply,

but

we were able to overcome this limitation well using a patient-specific abutment.

After carefully checking the occlusal relationship

and the interproximal contact space,

we completed the treatment.

When a tooth breaks,

it is important to understand where, how much, and in what way it fractured,

and for the attending doctor to consider the lifespan of the natural tooth

and make a plan that is beneficial in the long term.

To do that,

it is better to choose a clinic

with extensive experience in related procedures

and with clinical expertise and know-how, right?

That’s all for today’s content.

Thank you for reading.

This was Director Park Jeong-gi

of Remember Dental Clinic near Seoul National University Entrance Station.