Question For the Dentist In The House

[Targa Me]

I have a cracked molar, number 31.

It is clearly cracked, half of the tooth is loose and the other half is firmly in place.

If I chew on food, the loose half is sensitive to pressure. I know this because if I put pressure on it with my finger I can fill the sensitivity.

My question is: if the loose half falls out am I going to experience pain from an exposed nerve?

Thanks in advance.

[Gogar]

I think the answer is "go to the dentist."

[porsche4life]

Definitely. Get your ass to a dentist asap....

[Icemaster]

Gogars half right. Correct answer....

Go to the dentist, NOW.

The can put a temporary sealant on it iirc. Similar thing happened to a coworker while we were traveling, cracked it while we were at dinner. Infection was/is the biggest concern, again if I recall correctly.

[slodave]

DIY: JB Weld.

[pavulon]

Yup...each time you eat you are risking forcing bacteria and food down into the tooth fracture/socket/jaw. Jaw infection=bad. Either pull the tooth or have your dentist save it if he can (crown?)

[Targa Me]

OK. Thanks for the input. I'll see a DDS.

[recycled sixtie]

As the above say go to the dentist now. My wife has a tooth with a crack in it that also had a root canal prior. Next week she gets a crown. Amazing what can be salvaged nowadays with teeth....G.

[herr_oberst]

Here's my experience with tooth trouble - it usually happens about Friday around 6:30 pm.

Often on a weekend with a Monday holiday.

3 days of agony, then you hope you can get in first thing on the next business day.

Sounds like you're going to be the proud owner of a brand new crown!

[Nickshu]

Probably not, if the pulp (nerve) was exposed by the fracture then it would be just as painful whether the fractured segment was there or not. (This is assuming the tooth is not root canal treated already?). It sounds like the fracture extends subgingivally (below the gumline) and the gingival (gum) attachment is all that's holding the fractured segment in place.

Stay on a soft diet (obviously) and get to your DDS as soon as you can to have it numbed up and the fractured segment removed. They can then temporize it and assess the prognosis of the tooth (as it whether it's saveable or not).

OTC Advil or Tylenol for any pain until that point. Antibiotics are probably not necessary in the short term.

You're looking at either restoring the tooth with a full coverage crown, which may require surgical crown lengthening first to allow access to the lowest point of the fracture, or extraction of the tooth. Being a second molar, most people do not find that replacement of that tooth is necessary for chewing function, but certainly an implant replacement is an option.

PM me with any questions. (your PPOT resident Periodontist)

[porwolf]

I think you maybe looking at an implant. I had an infected tooth a couple of years ago and the dentist told me you have two choices: Root canal plus crown or implant, costs for both are about the same. I chose the implant. I had mine done at USC dental school, the leading school on implants. Total cost for a first class implant about 1,800.-.

[Nickshu]

Originally Posted by porwolf

I think you maybe looking at an implant. I had an infected tooth a couple of years ago and the dentist told me you have two choices: Root canal plus crown or implant, costs for both are about the same. I chose the implant. I had mine done at USC dental school, the leading school on implants. Total cost for a first class implant about 1,800.-.

This.

Implants are not perfect but in most cases they have a lower likelihood of problems compared to heroically maintaining a compromised natural tooth.

Like I said, if the tooth is deemed non-restorable then an implant is the best option if you chose to have it replaced. The literature shows a higher long-term failure rate of lower jaw second molar implants because it's difficult to protect them from your bite. A bite guard at night is a good idea if you go this route.

[Targa Me]

You guys are great. Thanks for the advise.

[fintstone]

Had similar and did nothing...got abscessed. Had to eat a bunch of antibiotics for a week or two before they could do the root canal and crown. Get it fixed.