If dentists were to tell jokes one of them might be \u2018when is a lift not a lift?\u2019 ... Answer .. when it is an elevator. Blank looks all around? If you read on, things will become clearer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In today\u2019s blog we are going to take a look at a specific dental problem that might appear straightforward on the surface but comes with its own complexities. That is when a tooth crown breaks off and leaves no significant amount of crown above the gum line. Where the crown is above the gum line, and, presuming it can\u2019t be saved, then extracting the tooth is usually relatively straightforward. When it is below though, this all changes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Before we look at treatments, it is worth asking why this should happen. In many cases it is simply the case that decay has become quite extensive and this weakens the tooth structure causing significant breakage. There may still be a small part of the tooth showing above the gum line, but not enough for the usual dental tools used for extractions to be able to manoeuvre the tooth from its socket.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
With the tooth being completely, or almost completely, beneath the gum line, we can\u2019t see the full picture from a visual check. It is important then, that we take an x-ray before we take any action.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It may be that an extraction will be without any complications once an x-ray has been taken, but sometimes, a tooth root is located near a nerve and it is important that our Staines dentists are aware of this before the extraction takes place. For the purpose of this blog, we will assume that this is not a problem and take a look at what happens next.<\/p>\n\n\n\n