Diagnosis | Broken wisdom tooth

Diagnosis

Often the affected people themselves notice when the wisdom tooth breaks off, for example by a strong cracking sound that can be heard and felt. If only a small part of the tooth breaks off, the affected persons do not feel any pain at first. However, if the nerve canal is opened by the break, pain often occurs directly. In any case one should visit a dentist. The dentist will check the wisdom tooth for the time being and, if necessary, take an x-ray to determine how far the fracture extends and to be able to plan further treatment.

Associated symptoms

In addition to the broken wisdom tooth, additional damage to the gums may have occurred, since at the moment of the break, strong pressure was also exerted on the surrounding gums or hard pieces of food may have caused injuries. In the event of an accident or fall, one should also have the skull bones examined for further fractures. Other structures of the head may also have been injured.

Sharp points on the tooth can cause cuts in the tongue and cheek. Pain on a broken wisdom tooth depends on how much of the tooth is broken and how deep the fracture lies. A distinction is made between pure enamel fractures, which are usually not painful, and enamel-dentine fractures, which can be painful, especially if the nerve canal has been opened by the fracture and the tooth nerve is no longer protected.

Pain may also be felt in the surrounding gums, as they may have been additionally injured. If only a small part of the wisdom tooth breaks off, there is usually no pain. Those affected then only notice a different tooth shape and sharp edges at the fracture site.

A broken wisdom tooth can become inflamed without treatment by a dentist.As a result of the fracture, the crown of the tooth is no longer intact and caries can develop more quickly. After the caries has spread, the dental nerve can become inflamed. If the dental nerve is already no longer protected after the break, bacteria can penetrate the nerve canal and reach the jawbone via the root of the tooth and cause an inflammation there.