Many people feel self conscious about the look of their teeth. Statistics show that 32% of people surveyed reported being concerned by how their teeth looked. One cause for this can be if you’ve recently suffered damage to your tooth. Considering that, it’s important to know the three possible outcomes of direct trauma to the teeth. Knowing what type of situation you’re in can help you find the best ways to treat these problems. With that in mind, here are three common types of damaged teeth.
- Intact Tooth That Feels Loose
If you’ve suffered damage to your tooth, it’s common to notice that it feels slightly different. If your tooth feels slightly loose and you’re seeing a bit of blood, it’s understandable for this to feel jarring. You’ll want to check and see if your tooth feels loose. It’s important that you don’t use too much pressure to do this. That being said, you’re still going to need to make a trip to the dentist. While your tooth might appear fine, damage could have still occurred to your gum area. Therefore, it’s best to have a dentist check out the extent of your tooth’s damage. - Broken Tooth
Whether young or old, many people have had to deal with a broken tooth. Statistics gathered from CNBC found that nearly $800 million is spent on emergency dental visits each year due to Halloween. Regardless of whether your broken tooth is caused by eating candy or sustaining damage, it’s important to get it taken care of. In some cases, a broken tooth can be salvaged but you’ll need to visit the dentist. However, this is entirely dependent upon where the tooth breaks. However, you’ll want to try and keep the tooth preserved in milk. - Completely Missing Tooth
In other situations, a tooth will become entirely detached from the gums. If you’re able to find where your tooth has landed, hold on to it. In some cases, a doctor might be able to end up saving your tooth. However, this does depend on many factors. After your tooth falls out, immediately apply pressure to where the tooth was. This helps to prevent excess blood loss. If your tooth is unable to be replaced, a dentist might need to replace the tooth with an artificial implant. In fact, statistics show that the dental implants and prosthetic market throughout the United States are estimated to reach $6.4 billion.
In conclusion, there are several things that can happen when your tooth suffers damage. In less severe situations, a tooth can be intact but still feel slightly loose. If you’ve suffered slightly more damage, you might have to deal with a broken tooth. In other situations, a tooth can become completely detached from the gums. In any of the previously mentioned situations, it’s best to visit a dentist right away.