Broken front tooth

Breaks can range from minor chipped enamel with no pain, to catastrophic splits with toothache pain. Each is dealt with uniquely. “How much is a filling?” is a very vague question that cannot be answered without understanding what exactly is to be done.

If small enough, the rough area can be smoothed over with a polishing drill and left as is. The dentist will need to know why the tooth chipped to prevent it happening again. Some common reasons are trauma (knocked it), bit hard on something, weakened enamel from acid erosion (such as acid reflux, frequent softdrink or lemon consumption), weakened teeth from previous dental fillings, or dental decay.

Front teeth can be filled with white composite resin, as an immediate fix. Front teeth are the first contact with food, and are under a lot of strain everyday. Enamel is very strong, however once a piece has broken, the replacement material – white composite resin – is nowhere near as strong. It is advised not to bite hard on composite resin, as repeated breakages can occur.

All treatment will be aimed at reducing the pain as a priority. Here the dentist may use a medicine over the decay, and place a simple filling. This will give the tooth some time to heal. If the tooth recovers, a stronger filling can be placed over the softer filling a few months down the track. Or a crown may be advised. If the pain does not improve, your dentist may consider root canal treatment.