My son fell on his face last night and broke one front tooth and cracked the other. He is ten years old. I’m in an odd situation because I quit our family dentist and had not found a new dentist since the pandemic, so I called a few friends and we saw a dentist this morning. The dentist took a quick look at the tooth, said it looks okay and added that he can’t fix the tooth until March, but he also said that the tooth root needs time to desensitize. What does that mean? Should I wait or find another dentist who will see him right away? – Kristen

Kristen,

There is no reason to wait. The dentist you saw would need to explain why he recommends allowing time for your son’s tooth to desensitize. Before treatment, a dentist will desensitize the tooth for a painless procedure. Sometimes a tooth has internal damage that you cannot see. But it seems that the dentist’s exam was too quick to evaluate your son’s tooth. It’s best to get the tooth thoroughly examined and treated.

Repairing a Child’s Broken Tooth with Dental Bonding

A skilled cosmetic dentist can often repair a child’s tooth with dental bonding. Hopefully, you saved the piece of the tooth that broke off. A cosmetic dentist can bond the piece back in place. But if you don’t have the broken piece, we recommend direct dental bonding to fill in the tooth. A cosmetic can seamlessly restore the tooth so you won’t be able to tell where the bonding and tooth meet. The dentist will do the following:

• Clean the tooth
• Etch the tooth
• Apply dental bonding and shape it
• Harden the bonding with a curing light
• Further shape and polish the tooth

When your son is older and the tooth pulp shrinks, he may need a dental crown. But for now, find a dentist who will see your son right away and has cosmetic dentistry training and experience.

 

Dr. Ryan Perry, a Baton Rouge dentist, sponsors this post.