Shit, I cracked a molar down the middle eating sourdough! While I wait to get into a dentist....

[Dustyblue]

Has anyone had this happen?

I think the tooth must've been on its way out anyway. Have had 2 instances recently of unexplained jaw pain on that side, but it went away both times.

Will call for an emergency appointment in the morning but am not hopeful- am in a small town with 2 dental clinics, they have one emergency appointment/day each and other than that are booked for weeks.

If this has happened to you- was it salvageable? It's still in firmly but I can put a fingernail in the crack in the middle. And it hurts something awful, full side of head pain.

Just while I wait (and possibly wait some more) to see someone- any experience? I really don't want to lose a tooth but can't see how they'd fix this.

Put emergency dental paste on it. Like the emergency filling stuff. Might protect it a bit?

It’s happened to me. Tooth was pulled out, but it was already filled.

As a victim of caramel popcorn I feel your pain OP!

I am 2 days post implant surgery, however, I put off visiting the dentist for far too long, until the pain was unbearable. By that stage it needed to come out.

So if you get to the dentist ASAP you probably have a good chance of saving the tooth.

I’m waiting for my third inlay for exactly, the first two fell out.

Dentist inspected it and removed anything loose and then put a temp filling in (this has just contre it si have exposed nerve like you). He then took an impression to have an inlay made. This was fitted, first lasted 5 months, second 5 weeks but that’s cos more tooth broke off. He says if this fails it’s root canal or extraction.

The pain is horrific though, as is eating /drinking, so you have my full sympathies

The implant surgery was fine btw (apart from the expense!)

After the anaesthetic I didn't feel anything, and I'm a huge baby when it comes to the dentist

It depends how far down the tooth the split goes. If the root bit has split there is no saving the tooth. I had all this explained to me before I had work on a cracked molar and I was lucky because the root was intact. My cracked molar had a crown put on over 20 years ago to hold it together so cracked molars can be saved. It was sore but not the level of pain you're talking about. From the pain it might be a root canal and a crown. If it isn't salvageable you could have an implant - they can be a long term solution. Best of luck.

I cracked a tooth on a polo, got abscess but after that got sorted I was too scaredy-cat to go back until ten years later when the tooth fully fell apart, dentist said it could absolutely have been saved if I'd just gone in!

Good luck OP. Just keep calling any dentist til you get an appointment, you're not obligated to stay local, if you can afford private?

@MarmiteyCrumpets how much if you don't mind was your implant? I suspect that will be my option soon, it's too far forward and missing too many teeth on the other side to leave a hole

Thanks so much for these replies. I get panicky about teeth.

@Whatelsecouldibecalled I'd not heard of emergency dental paste. Will check the chemist tomorrow, thanks

@Goldenharp thanks, that's a good explanation.

So it might be fixable and it might not. I can still cling to hope.

@WaterBottle123 blimey, a cracked tooth and an abscess, what fun! At first I thought That might be my issue, but I don't feel 'infected'.

I should've mentioned, I'm in Australia so almost all dental work is "private" unless you have private health insurance, which we don't. It'll be 'use the savings up' time, but I can't live with this thing in my head. If I can't get in locally we may have to travel.

Thank you, am a little calmer. The Voltaren & Vodka Martini combo I've employed seems to be helping a little.

Ah well hope you don't have to travel too far in that case!

I broke a back tooth a few months ago . As others have said the dentist checked and said as it had broken above the gum line it could be salvaged. He put a temporary filling on a and a few weeks later I had an inlay which didn't involve a crown . A crown would have been the next thing to try if this had failed . I didn't have any pain when it broke though, although it had been aching a bit before it broke

I cracked a tooth like that on a Wunderbar.

Mine wasn’t down the middle - it was kind of 2/3 of the way across and previously had a filling.

They did save it and put a crown on it eventually.

Good luck!

@LefttoherownDevizes I'm not in the UK (South Africa), but for what it's worth probably around £600 for the implant (from a specialist dentist), excluding the extraction and crown.

[quote LefttoherownDevizes]@MarmiteyCrumpets how much if you don't mind was your implant? I suspect that will be my option soon, it's too far forward and missing too many teeth on the other side to leave a hole[/quote]
I am innthe process of having and won't have any chance from £2000 - it costs more if your sinuses have dropped down apparently tly which mine hadn't.

Thanks, mine is a bottom tooth thankfully.

Going to remortgage to do building work soon, might just get enough for a couple of implants whilst I'm at it

Thanks again everyone- I was lucky to get an emergency appointment and they had to take it out.

Dentist said I'd done an amazing job cracking it vertically clean down to the root, and that there was no decision to make- "it's no good to you anymore, I'm taking it out!"

He showed it to me afterwards, and indeed the spilt was impressive. He then pulled it fully apart to show me exactly how fucked it was.

Interestingly, he said it probably happened due to a slightly weak tooth, but it can happen in strong healthy teeth when you bite with enough pressure on the wrong angle etc. Seedy & crusty bread is a known offender apparently.

I asked out of curiosity the cost of a single implant? $AUD5000 (or in GBP 2600). Hmm, perhaps not this year.

Luckily I just ordered a soup maker! And he gave me a script for codeine, so am off-duties tonight and parking myself on the couch with a book.

Thank you again :)

So glad for you, and that you had a dentist who was honest and just took it out.

Hope the pain settles soon, and no straws!!

Thanks! I was really impressed with the dentist- not our usual of the 2 in town, but think we'll switch. He was lovely, calming and honest about "we don't throw money at this".

Still feel like Gummy Mummy! I was horrified about losing a tooth but now I'm 'Oh well, needs must and it could be far worse'.

All these stories helped. Love Mumsnet.

@Dustyblue I still have the gap from my lost tooth. As it's a molar, like you, it's completely unnoticed by anyone else.

@WaterBottle123 the gap looks huge right now. I'm left with one back molar, then gap, then 2 small molars then incisors. I guess I can learn to eat on the other side?

You are right though, I don't think it'll be noticeable. Unless I smile very widely, which is freaking unlikely at the moment

@Dustyblue yes I think I chew more on my non gap side without realising.

Honestly you won't care about the gap in a few months!