Front tooth damaged

Doctor,

Today a small portion of the back of my lower front tooth broke off.  From the front my tooth looks normal.  The piece broke off vertically from the back of the tooth.  How should this tooth be repaired?

Thank you

[Steve Bader, DMD]

Depending on your age and your bite, a fracture of this type can occur due to excessive wear to the top (incisal) edge, exposing the softer inner dentin layer of the tooth.  If it is a small fracture it may be repairable by bonding.  A larger fracture may require a bonded porcelain repair. I agree with Dr. Erfani above that the cause should be carefully evaluated since you may be at risk of the same thing with other teeth.  Bruxism, or nightime grinding, may be the problem.  A well trained Cosmetic Dentist such as the ones listed on www.top3dentists.com can offer the best repair and evaluate the cause to prevent it from happening again. Good luck.

[Sam Delfino]

This is a very odd thing to happen, unless your upper teeth bite on the back of the lower ones, you were biting on something really hard or have a tongue ring or something of the sort. First thing first, the cause must be evaluated. Then once the cause is taken away, then the extent of damage should be evaluated, and this could be resolved with a tooth colored filling, and the type of the filling should be evaluated by a properly trained dentist who knows their materials and would understand what material to use in which situation and also someone who can track and evaluate why this has happened. If more extensive, a veneer, inlay, or a crown might be needed, unless the crack goes below the gumline which might need a procedure called crown lengthening and if the cracks continue down too far to the bone, then the tooth may not even be savable and then a bridge, partial denture or implant might be needed. Also if the crack has gone to the nerve of the tooth and the nerve is exposed, then a root canal might be needed as well. If you need help with evaluation of the training of the dentists in your area, feel free to visit www.top3dentists.com. You would be able to find someone who can help you in the General Dentistry section of the site as well.I hope this is helpful and let us know if you have any other questions.