Somehow a few weeks ago I managed to damege the tooth next to the front top two teeth (think I must have smacked it with a glass). I only realised this yesterday when I used a powerful halogen torch to have a look at one of the side edges to realise it is thin and wavy and looks like the edge has broken off.

Without the torch it doesn't really look that different to normal which is why I failed to notice it but when I shone the powerful halogen light I can see what looks like a dark piece of metal in the tooth yet the tooth has never been filled. What is the dark shape likely to be? I have a check up in 2 weeks time and the receptionist said if it isn't hurting it should be ok to wait until then.

Is it something that I should insist gets looked at sooner? I don't mind waiting if it isn't going to change the outcome but don't want to wait if it is the difference between saving the existing tooth and having to have it crowned or worse agonising pain over the BH weekend.

Any one had a similar experience and over what time frame did it not cause you any major hassle?

 

Presumably you've gone through the enamel

 

I don't know what I have done

Don't really have much of an idea when it comes to teeth.

But I can confirm:-

1) It doesn't hurt
2) It looks very weird under torchlight
3) I originally thought my front tooth had started to move away from that tooth hence a gap starting to form which prompted the closer inspection with a torch.
4) I really want to minimise the impact of whatever happened to it from a cost and potential pain point of view.

 

Thenewgalaxy is a forum member who's a dentist. He's your man!

 

Thanks LSherratt for the steer If a dentist can give me a view that would be great or someone who has faced a similar situation.

 

Midlife will advise..........


Ask to speak to the dentist.


dl

 

Was going to say Midlife

 

Hi

Just to double check...........are you putting the torch behind the tooth and looking at the front of the tooth ? so the light is passing through the tooth from the back to the front (trans-illumination)....

Shaun

 

Yeah thats exactly what I did, placed the beam from behind the tooth and I am seeing like a dark shape in only the tooth that I think I may have damaged.

All the other front ones look white without that dark shape in it.

Is it something I can leave for another week? I have an appointment for a check up a week on Tuesday?

 

This is a long shot, have you at some time in the past suffered trauma to your front teeth ? if you have it could be tooth resorption.

I almost lost a tooth due to resorption, the trauma to my front teeth happened when I was a child but it wasn't until I was in my sixties that my own immune system started to destroy the tooth.

See here http://www.simple-remedies.com/home-...esorption.html

 

It doesn't seem to be loose or anything so I am not sure it's doing the resorption process but it is definitely not healthy. I could kick myself as the smack with the glass was so trivial and a lapse in concentration and it feels like it's going to be a bugger to put right.

 

Transillumination through the tooth shows up optical defects that may be normal such as enamel lamellae, enamel tufts and enamel spindles. Plus any age induced normal enamel cracking (enamel infractions).

Apart from looking at molars for incomplete root fractures we hardly ever look at teeth through transilluminated light as all you are looking at are optical and not physical phenomena.........if that makes sense.

Shaun