Fractured Root: Symptoms and Treatments
A fractured tooth root can be a painful experience and is often hard to diagnose since the root is blow the gum line; a root fracture does not mean that the fracture will extend above the gum line. A fractured root can be a result of chewing on hard foods, grinding your teeth, or tooth decay.
Symptoms of a Fractured Root
Symptoms that you have a fractured root may not always be evidence, a root fracture typically presents symptoms intermittently unless the root becomes infected. Since patients do not experience constant discomfort with a root fracture, they may not even realize that they have it and that it is important to get treatment to avoid damaging the root even further. Symptoms of a root fracture may include:
- Occasional, sharp pain when eating
- Extreme sensitivity to hot and cold foods and beverages
Pain from a fractured root can be excruciating though not all fractures will produce symptoms. Any pain in your body is a sign that something is wrong so even if you are experiencing mild discomfort that comes and goes, you are better off having it checked out instead of waiting for things to get worse!
Treatment for a Fractured Root
A root fracture does not always necessitate extraction of the tooth however, it can lead to damage of the tooth structure at which point more extreme treatment measures may be required. The most common treatments for a fractured root are root canal therapy and extraction.
Root Canal Therapy: Having a root canal is an ideal treatment option that has a high success rate of enabling patients to keep a tooth that might otherwise be extracted. A root canal rids the tooth of all of the nerves and tissue within the tooth and keeps the patient from feeling any pain in the affected tooth. Even though a root canal typically treats an infected tooth, removing the nerves within the tooth can allow the patient to keep their tooth for a few more years even if the root is fractured.
Extraction: Removing the tooth altogether is probably the most common treatment once a root has fractured. Sometimes, a periodontist or oral surgeon may be able to remove only the affected section of the root by going in from the side of the tooth in the gum tissue and sectioning the root. If you have the tooth extracted, you may be able to have an implant placed to restore the area if you like!
A fractured root can be very painful and should be treated as soon as possible. If you experience any symptoms of a fractured root, it is important to see your dentist as soon as possible to have the tooth evaluated for treatment. A fracture will not resolve itself so professional treatment is the only way to solve the problem. If you need a root canal or extraction, your dentist will refer you to an endodontist or oral surgeon respectively.