Urgent advise re chipped tooth!

Kotek Besar

Guys, please advise me!

My brother-in-law has just chipped half of one of his front teeth away! Looks absolutely awful.

What can he do? We know it won't grow back, but what are his options?

He's only 16 (last month), and his mother's going spare at him. They don't have a medical card (has been applied for, but waiting to be processed).

What are his options do you think? And how much is it likely to cost?

This is a pic I found on google, kinda the same as his..

georgieporgy

http://boards.ie/vbulletin/attachment.php?attachmentid=82392&stc=1&d=1244750469


The attached pic shows a repaired tooth (green line is the fracture line) where the broken fragment has been bonded back in place.( 2 teeth broken, 1 has been repaired) If the piece is lost, then the dentist can rebuild the tooth to make it look as good as new using a variety of materials.

treatment choice depends on just how bad the fracture is.

He needs to see dentist ASAP. price varies a lot depending on treatment necessary. But the dentist can give an estimate and discuss options after seeing the situation.

Kotek Besar

Thanks very much. It's comforting to know it can be made good as new. He'll be going straight to the dentist in the morning.

I know you said it varies greatly, but do think we're talking hundreds here? Or thousands?

helimachoptor

He'll probably just get a crown but it can vary in price. I got one for a back tooth it was 900. You can get them up north for £2-300

georgieporgy

As we don't know the extent of the damage it is difficult to give a price (or treatment plan) now. The nerve of the tooth may or may not be damaged. The rest of the tooth may be in perfect shape or there may be multiple cracks in it and the adjacent teeth. The lower teeth may also have been injured.
If it's exactly like the pic you showed us and if he is fortunate enough to have the missing fragment, and the nerve is ok, it can be glued back on easily (100-200? including exam xrays etc). If the piece is missing and the dentist has to rebuild with white filling material the fee would range from 100-300. You will find that the aesthetic result is often reflected in the fee charged. A highly skilled dentist who knows what kind of work he (she) can do and knows how difficult it is to get an excellent result will charge accordingly.

Med card pays approx 50 euro per filling. If one wants the dentist to choose treatment with this price limitation it's anybody's guess what the outcome will be. But you can mix Med card and private if you wish.

If a crown is needed (hopefully not, but i don't want to second guess the dentist that will be treating him) I would charge 1100 for an invisible one or 800 for a visible one. I generally try to place the 'visible' ones in the back of the mouth where they won't be seen. If he is eligible for Med Card and has applied, call up the local office where they process the applications and tel them he has a dental emmergency. They can issue his card right away. Was the injury GAA related? If so there may be insurance to help.

There are many fine dentists in Waterford. I hope he has a good experience today!

Gu3rr1lla

This happened my 2 front teeth as a kid. The nerve didnt die and i just got a 'cap' or 'white filling' on my front teeth which was shaped into a tooth. WOuldnt notice the difference. Then a few years down the line the nerve died on both teeth and abscess's followed, root canal had to be done, then the teeth discoloured (because they're dead) and then had to get crowns. All this treatment, except for the crowns was done on the medical card in the health board dentist (correct name?). You can claim money back for the crowns on the Med1 form at the end of the year/beginning of next year. Just dont get a crown on if the nerve is still alive (is that possible anyway?) because that tooth can die any day and if you have a crown on you already have a more weakened tooth im not sure if a another crown could go on but dont worry about it it'll be fine!