Treatment Methods by Pain Level When a Molar Breaks

A complete step-by-step guide from resin to crown

Hello, this is Seoul Centum Dental Clinic.

Did you know that more people visit the dentist because of chipped teeth than you might think?

“I heard a snapping sound while eating.”

“A small corner of my molar broke off.”

“If it doesn’t hurt, can’t I just leave it alone?”

These are some of the many questions people ask.

A chipped molar is, surprisingly, one of the common reasons people visit the dentist.

Since not everyone feels severe pain right away,

many people end up putting off treatment.

Today, at Seoul Centum Dental Clinic, we want to explain from a professional perspective

what treatment is needed at each stage of pain,

and why you should not leave it untreated or miss the right time for care.

No pain, but a feeling of something catching on the tongue

At first, some people may not even realize the tooth has chipped until they move their tongue and feel it catching on the edge.

In most cases like this, only the outer layer of the tooth,

called the enamel, has chipped slightly.

Because there is little or no pain,

many people do not notice it.

However, since the broken edge is sharp,

the tongue or the inside of the cheek can get rubbed.

If the damaged area is small, you can simply smooth out the sharp part

and finish the treatment.

If the missing area is visible, it should be filled simply to help prevent

further chipping of the tooth.

At this stage, coming in for treatment is, financially speaking,

the golden time for the fastest treatment.

Sharp pain when drinking cold water, or sensitivity when eating sweets

If you feel this kind of discomfort, it is different.

It means the dentin beneath the enamel has been exposed.

You may react to cold or hot foods,

and feel a dull ache when food gets stuck between the teeth.

In this case, treatment is usually done with an inlay,

which is used when the broken area is judged to be too difficult for resin to hold up.

It is a treatment in which a custom-made piece is fitted into the tooth.

Materials such as ceramic are used.

Because dentin is weaker than enamel,

if decay develops, it progresses very quickly.

If it is not reinforced quickly, treatment will take longer,

and the cost will inevitably increase as well.

If it throbs even when you are still, and hurts enough to make you flinch when chewing?

At this point, it can already be called severe pain.

The crack may have already reached near the nerve,

or a vertical fracture may be progressing through the tooth.

Every time you chew, you feel a sharp pain,

and because of the pain, it may become impossible to eat on that side at all.

At this stage, the likelihood of needing root canal treatment is very high.

After removing the damaged nerve and disinfecting the tooth,

a crown treatment is essential to protect the entire tooth by covering it like a cap.

This treatment is meant to stop the tooth from splitting, cracking, and breaking any further.

If this stage is left untreated,

and the tooth root also breaks,

avoiding an implant eventually becomes difficult.

When a molar breaks, be sure to go to a clinic that performs a detailed diagnosis

A broken molar is not only about what you can see.

At Seoul Centum Dental Clinic, we make sure to check three things.

We check whether there are any microcracks.

We carefully check whether a crack continues next to the broken piece.

Second, if the broken part is one of the cusps that bear a lot of force in the molar,

we make sure to prevent it from breaking more severely later.

Third, we check why the tooth broke.

If there are habits such as teeth grinding or clenching that could have caused the tooth to break,

there is a chance it could break again.

Teeth are one of the body parts that do not regenerate on their own.

In particular, molars are one of the hardest-working parts of our body.

Once a tooth breaks, it never naturally reattaches,

and the longer you leave it untreated,

the broader the treatment area becomes and the higher the cost gets.

If you currently feel discomfort somewhere in your molar,

instead of worrying about it, please visit Seoul Centum Dental Clinic right away

and get an accurate evaluation of your condition.

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