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Original poster

So low about smashing my front tooth up

50 replies

AnneC81 · 15/11/2022 12:24

About 6 weeks ago I tripped up on a night out and although I tried to break my fall, I ended up smacking my mouth and teeth on the edge of a step.

Fast forward 6 weeks, the slightly cut lip has healed, but one of my two front teeth has not gotten off as lightly and has a horizontal crack running through it - but tooth still in tact

I have been to my NHS dentist twice, and also seen a private dentist that very kindly offered to see me for free following a desperate Facebook post asking for recommendations for a local private dentist. My NHS dentist put a white filling on a slight chip on the corner of my tooth, but both dentists have said the same with regards to the foundation of the tooth and the horizontal crack……that it’s fractured, there’s no sign of nerve damage as yet but chances are that will come soon and then it will be root canal, followed by a crown.

However, I have been told that they don’t know when this may happen and until then I just need to be thankful it wasn’t worse and live with this horizontal crack in my tooth - and it’s this bit that I’m really struggling with. I have accepted that I will need work on it, and chances are this tooth will die soon as I am in pain still but what if it doesn’t, I can’t walk around with a crack in my tooth waiting for it to die. I just don’t know what to do.

Has anyone experienced anything like this? Or had root canal on a front tooth, or crowns or veneers? I’m just looking for some light at the end of the tunnel stories as I’m so so down about it all.

OP posts:

dudsville · 15/11/2022 12:33

I feel for you. Every year I'm grateful for another year that i get to have all my teeth as very few of us get to our death beds intact. My mum fell down some icy steps and similarly nearly lost a tooth. 40 yrs on it's still there and seems ok but she's super careful.

Binky100 · 15/11/2022 13:13

I fainted a couple of years ago and snapped one of my front teeth almost at the gum level. There was quite a lot of damage to the tooth and I ended up going private and while it was expensive they have done an amazing job. I had a root canal and a new crown fitted and they have done an fantastic job blending it to the rest of the teeth. While the final crown was being made I was given a temporary crown so I wasn't left with any gaps at any point.
It was very stressful but I had an amazing dentist. The first dentist I went to see (emergency NHS) didn't give me any confidence which is why I went to a private dentist.
Hope this helps.

Norugratsatall · 15/11/2022 13:54

This happened to me op, four years ago (almost to the day). I fell whilst out jogging - down a slight incline. Smashed my nose in half almost and my bottom lip almost in two too. Looked a right mess!

Three of my top front teeth were damaged. One came loose, one was bent at a odd angle into my mouth and the third snapped in half. I had an amazing dentist who basically tweaked the bent tooth back into position, built up the broken one and put a splint on my teeth to help the loose one to firm up which it did. And I had the two worst affected teeth root canal led as well.

The tooth which got bent has a horizontal crack across it but it's superficial and doesn't compromise the integrity of the tooth. In fact, you can only see it up close. The broken one did discolour quite a bit and I got very self conscious of seeing this during the Lockdown Zooms! I've now had that crowned and am very happy with the result.

Honestly I was devastated when this happened to me but there is life after such an accident.

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about these subjects:

Dental health General health

VenusClapTrap · 15/11/2022 14:05

Op you have my sympathy. I’ve had a lifetime of dental work due to breaking my two front teeth in an accident in the school gym when I was 10. The dentist said my roots would probably die, but they never have.

I had horrid yellow plastic stuck onto the remaining bits of tooth until I was 18, then I had a series of veneers which generally needed replacing every ten years. About ten years ago my dentist persuaded me to have the remaining bits ground to a stump and crowns put on. I’m very happy with these, although one has always been slightly off in colour so eventually I’ll get round to replacing it. Bloody expensive business though, teeth.

It feels like the end of the world, but it isn’t. It’s a pain in the arse, but you get used to it, like you get used to having to wear glasses when your vision goes. It’s just another annoyance.

carefulcalculator · 15/11/2022 14:14

I share your pain, I have front teeth issues too as a result of an accident.

All I can say is spend some time being upset and then when you are ready you will be able to access modern dentistry which is very good.

Original poster

AnneC81 · 15/11/2022 16:48

Sorry for your fall. Can I ask if the root canal treatment on your front tooth hurt? I think that’s what I’ll need but I’m just in limbo at the minute. In pain, but told to come back in a few weeks and they could not see immediate nerve damage. Also, is your crown obviously a crown? I really want something to match the other tooth as closely as possible.

OP posts:

IwishIwasSupermum · 15/11/2022 17:00

A composite veneer might work as a temporarily fix, DS has them to cover discoloured teeth, his were done in NHS as has a condition so not sure of cost. They last about 5/6 years,

DentalDisaster · 15/11/2022 17:03

RCT on my second tooth. It failed and I was sent to the big city dental hospital for 2 further attempts. They also failed and I had to have the tooth removed as it hurt and was going grey.

I was devastated.

I have a bridge fitted that I was, eventually, okay about until recently.
It suddenly fell out after over a decade and it’s been a nightmare having it replaced. The new one doesn’t fit right, I’m in pain and I feel it’s really obvious.
I was looking into a dental implant when it first fell out. I wish I’d just booked it and done it on their finance plan because it’s suddenly gone up by £500!

The RCT didn’t hurt, they were unpleasant but not painful, but seemingly they quite often don’t work out. I hope it all goes well for you.

JuneOsborne · 15/11/2022 17:06

I wonder if an implant would be the way to go? My mil has slowly been having all of her teeth replaced with implants (bad teeth in a big way) and she's paying via a monthly plan. Could that be worth investigating?

Si1ver · 15/11/2022 17:17

I fainted a while back and broke one of my front teeth too, but unfortunately up in the gum. I ended up having the whole thing removed and an implant put in. I went private and had it done under sedation, the whole thing cost me about £6k over two years. It didn't hurt though and it looks brilliant now. The man who did the colour match on my tooth was basically a wizard of some sort.

simonthedog · 15/11/2022 17:17

The dentists are right you don't want a rootfilling unless you have to. It might settle down and be okay.

Original poster

AnneC81 · 15/11/2022 17:19

So sorry to hear about your accident. I am beyond devastated and no one quite gets why I’m so upset. I have a horizontal crack which although not that noticeable, I know it’s there. At a push I could just live with it, but the pain I’m in now implies that there is more going on with this tooth and I think RCT may be on the cards. I just wished I could get on with it and find a resolution. At the minute, I’m told to wait until I go and see my private dentist again on 7th December……if I can wait that long.

OP posts:

Original poster

AnneC81 · 15/11/2022 17:51

Thank you @VenusClapTrap so sorry about your accident when you were small. I have been told it will probably be root canal, veneers and then an implant. All of it expensive. Part of me is thinking of going straight for the implant rather than pi55 about for years but I at the minute I am in limbo, waiting to see if the nerve die, like you were. Thank you for your words, at the minute it feels like the end of the world but I know that I will somehow fix it, I’m just gutted.

OP posts:

Original poster

AnneC81 · 15/11/2022 18:02

@IwishIwasSupermum thank you, I will look into that but the private dentist did not even give me this as an option, I’ll ask though, thanks.

OP posts:

Original poster

AnneC81 · 15/11/2022 18:03

@simonthedog yes, this is what they have said, I’m still in pain so it’s not looking good. It’s actually got worse the last couple of days :(

OP posts:

Original poster

AnneC81 · 15/11/2022 18:23

@Si1ver glad you are happy with the result now. I’m not sure I have quite 6K but think I will have to go down the implant route.

OP posts:

IsItaCowIsItaPlane · 15/11/2022 18:31

AnneC81 · 15/11/2022 18:23

@Si1ver glad you are happy with the result now. I’m not sure I have quite 6K but think I will have to go down the implant route.

I was quoted £7k for 2 implants in the UK. This was totally out of my price range, however after speaking to a colleague about it they recommended Kreativ Dental in Budapest. I flew out for a free consultation, and they paid for my flight and picked me up at the airport, paid for the first nights stay in a hotel then took me back to the airport. I ended up having 2 implants, a sinus lift and bone graft for £3.5k and honestly they were amazing. I had a sinus infection after the sinus lift, and they flew me back out all expenses paid to check it out. I'd normally say never go abroad for health treatment and I wouldn't for anything else but after extensive research I'm glad I did this.

I will say though, if you have an implant you are left with a metal stub where they anchor the implant for up to 6 months to allow ut to bed in, so you'd have to do this.

Si1ver · 15/11/2022 18:36

AnneC81 · 15/11/2022 18:23

@Si1ver glad you are happy with the result now. I’m not sure I have quite 6K but think I will have to go down the implant route.

Mine was very expensive because I had it done under sedation because of my dentist phobia. I could have had it done cheaper but it was over the pandemic and so going abroad wasn't an option. It was in instalments over two years so not as painful as all at once

It's the most money I've spent on myself ever, but I figured it was my face and the first thing people were going to see.

illiterato · 15/11/2022 18:44

Yes- the front tooth on the left ( the slightly larger one) is root canal and a crown. Had it done 25 years ago and it’s still there. The one next to it is the same. That did fracture about a year ago and have to be redone but still did 25 years. That’s not root canal but was filed down to a peg and capped.

Original poster

AnneC81 · 15/11/2022 19:16

They look great @illiterato

I am so heartbroken, it sounds silly but I keep crying :(

does the crown or cap hurt? Il
just hoping I can get some resolution with this as at the minute I’m still in pain and still have a great big crack in my tooth.

OP posts:

RandomMess · 15/11/2022 19:24

I had root canal on 2 front teeth at 13ish, crowns attached to the original files down teeth at 24.

One original tooth snapped at 42 and one at 50 at which point they got steel posts and new crowns.

The crowns look better than the originals tbh.

Original poster

AnneC81 · 15/11/2022 19:26

@RandomMess This is reassuring, thank you.

OP posts:

Flowerfairy101 · 15/11/2022 19:27

I got beaten up when I was 15 and the nerve in my front tooth died, I had a root canal then a delightful grey tooth for a number of years before I plucked up the courage to sort it out. I now have a veneer on it which looks exactly like my other front tooth and has been no bother at all. It was a bit nerve wracking having it done because they put a temp veneer on whilst the real one was being made and they're less firmly fixed but overall it wasn't too traumatic! Really sorry this has happened to you happy to tell you more about it if it helps.

RandomMess · 15/11/2022 19:32

If they do a root canal they freeze it all up and remove the nerve. In 99.9% of cases utterly pain free afterwards.

Thereafter the dental work doesn't hurt. Inserting the steel post and sort out the impressions for the crown etc is a bit brutal in the gum/jaw so the freeze you up for that bit.

You want to find a highly recommended dentist to have the work done and save up and have the funds set aside for when it needs doing.

My last steel post and crown was £650 private - much of that is the lab work for the actual crown.

RandomMess · 15/11/2022 19:34

Yeah I was gutted each time when my original tooth snapped and had to face 3/4 weeks getting it sorted even though I got a temporary fake to fill in the gap.

You can't help but worry and feel self conscious.

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