A broken tooth in the front area is not necessarily what many people dream of. But it happens. Quite often even. Especially with children, a broken incisor is not uncommon. According to statistics, almost every third child has a dental accident – often at home, during sports and playing with other children.
In the case of broken milk teeth in the anterior region, not much is done to avoid damaging the underlying tooth. Usually the tooth is simply pulled out. Until the new tooth grows back, the child has a small gap in the tooth.
Not only infants affected
Unfortunately, broken incisors are not just a phenomenon of small children. Older children, adolescents and adults are not exempt from this either, although the causes can be very different.
A brawl with the neighbour boy, a fall from the stairs, accidents of any kind – there are different possibilities how it can come to the loss and/or to the damage at the incisors. No matter who has to fight with it, everyone wants the tooth to look tidy again as soon as possible. But what does the treatment for permanent teeth look like? What are the possibilities and how are they financed?
4 ways to save the incisor presented
➤ Possibility 1: Tooth bonding
If only a small piece of the incisor is broken off, your dentist may stick it back to the tooth. Provided, however, that a) it is still present and b) it is in perfect condition. The cells die continuously. After only a short time the tooth is unusable and healing is impossible.
The best solution to transport the tooth functional to the dentist is with a so-called tooth rescue box (seen on miradent.de). This box contains a nutrient solution that prevents the tooth from drying out. There are also special household remedies, but these are only of limited use, as the storage time is very short. Here a small overview:
| StorageLifetime of tooth dry storage inappropriateWater inappropriateTissue inappropriate in container of collected saliva15 – 30 minutesSaline solution30 minutesH-Milk2 – 3 hoursRescue box24 – 48 hours |
A tooth rescue box is available for less than 20 euros and lasts up to three years. An investment that can save a lot of money in an emergency.
➤ Option 2: Saving a tooth with a filling
If the tooth cannot be found and the damage to the remaining tooth is limited, the dentist can save the broken off area with a filling. The tooth is filled with a post-modeling material and then ground off. Of course in such a way that everything looks quite normal. A special build-up filling can also give the tooth more stability. To what extent this is the case with you will be decided by your dentist.
For normal holes and fillings, the health insurance only pays for amalgam fillings. If you want a ceramic filling, you must pay the difference yourself. For optical reasons, however, the ceramic filling is also paid for in the case of anterior teeth. (see article by test.de – Gesetzliche Krankenversicherung: Schöne Zähne gegen Rechnung)
➤ Method 3: Use veneers
In the case of major damage to the incisor, so-called veneers can also be considered. Veneers are ceramic shells that can be permanently bonded to the front teeth. The veneer is made especially for you and has the advantage that it lasts forever and is also biologically very well tolerated. In order for this dental prosthesis to hold optimally, a small amount of the tooth substance must be removed. However, this preparation is normally not associated with any pain.
Veneers as dental prostheses are of course not free of charge. The health insurance often only covers a partial amount. Who looks around correctly, finds however also favorable offerers, who work nevertheless with high-quality materials (found on zahnersatzsparen.de/). By the final manufacturing of the dental prosthesis abroad you can easily save up to 80 percent.
Note: Veneers cannot be used if the patient grinds his teeth. (Reading tip: Teeth grinding – causes, consequences and treatment)
➤ Method 4: Have the bridge and crown made
If the tooth is completely destroyed or completely lost, then only a bridge with a crown can be considered. The bridge fills the gap and the crown is placed on it. Since tooth gaps are completely out of date, especially in the anterior region, hardly any patient will not have the treatment performed, although this method is one of the most painful.
A crown is not only more painful, it is also the most expensive. This dental prosthesis is also tailor-made for you. Nowadays, health insurance companies only pay a small fraction. They are therefore also dependent here on favorable offerers. Ask in the apron completely exactly. Also ask your dentist for advice. Doctors will soon have to deal with such situations on a daily basis.