My eight-year-old fell this morning and broke off one of her upper front teeth and I can see a crack in the other one. I was able to get her into the dentist this afternoon, but he says we’ll have to wait almost a month to get the tooth fixed because his schedule is booked. I’m thinking about trying to find another dentist. He said something about waiting for the roots to desensitize. Does that really matter? Do we need to wait? — Ellen
Ellen,
You can get the tooth fixed right away… there is no reason to wait. Do you have the piece that broke off? If so, a good cosmetic dentist will have no problem re-attaching it and making it look just like the other front tooth. Just be aware that most regular dentists are not capable of doing that kind of work.
Direct dental bonding will be sufficient for the repair for now if you don’t have the piece that broke off. As she gets older and the pulp in the tooth is smaller, she may need to get a single crown.
This blog is brought to you by Dr. Alana Macalik. For more information on the services she provides, visit her Arlington cosmetic dentist website.