Front part of tooth broke

[HD86]

Hello,

I have a tooth with a large filling since my childhood. Now the front part of the tooth has broken. It does not hurt. What is the best treatment for this? How long can I postpone treatment if it still does not hurt?

 

[biffo1963]

This looks like the kind of problem which has happened to me numerous times. From what I can see there is still a fair amount of actual tooth left, so you may very well find that it can be repaired by replacing the filling and shaping the new filling to substitute for the part which broke off. However only a dentist has the experience to make that decision, of course, as he or she will be able to examine the remaining tooth in far more detail. You may also find that an individual dentist will recommend a crown - or not

As for delaying treatment - don't, unless it's an insurmountable financial barrier. Whether or not the tooth hurts is immaterial. You don't want more of it to break off so that you end up in pain and/or needing an extraction. Good luck !

 

[comfortdentist]

Delay of treatment may increase cost by a great deal
Either this cusp broke from recurrent caries that has weakened the support for this tooth or just because it wasn't well supported and teeth do fracture.
Optimal treatment may be a crown but may also be reasonable to clean out the old large amalgam and place a larger filling in its place.
Anesthesia is easy on this tooth.