How much does it cost to fix a chipped, cracked, or broken tooth?

Dental bonding procedures are used to restore minor cracks and chips. Your dentist will place an acid etch to roughen the tooth enamel. Then, they will place a bonding agent, like resin, which acts as the adhesive material. Finally, they'll place a tooth-colored composite material and shape it until it looks exactly like your natural tooth. Most of the time, local anesthetic is not needed for this procedure.

Dental bonding price ranges depending on which tooth needs to be fixed and how many surfaces the bond is placed on. For example, a two-surface anterior tooth will cost less than a two-surface posterior tooth since the back teeth are much larger than the front ones.

A cavity filling is very similar to dental bonding, but is used when there is a larger chip. Unlike the dental bonding, you'll typically need to have local anesthetic before the procedure. The reason is that most cavity filling goes into the dentin of the tooth, which is a layer that will cause much more sensitivity. Your dentist may need to use a bur to shape the cavity and remove any decay if there is some present. Then, they'll place the filling using acid etch, a bonding material, and composite resin.

Like dental bonding, the cost for cavity filling depends on which tooth is being treated and how large the cavity is. Posterior teeth cost more than anterior teeth and more surfaces add to the price.

Root canal therapy, or RCT for short, is required if the tooth breaks into the pulp of the tooth. If this happens, you'll probably feel pain and sensitivity, unless the tooth has had an RCT in the past. Your dentist will remove the nerve of the tooth, place a filler called gutta percha, and then restore the rest of the tooth using a buildup or filling material. In most cases, root canal therapy is followed by a crown to keep the tooth from breaking. You may need to take an over-the-counter medicine for pain relief after having a root canal procedure.

Root canal therapy cost is determined by the tooth. There are different prices for anterior teeth, premolars, and molars. The reason is that the teeth have different numbers of canals. You will also usually pay more to see an endodontist (root canal specialist) than if you have an RCT done by your general dentist.

You might hear dental crowns referred to as "caps" since they cover the entire crown portion of the tooth. Crowns are required when a good portion of the tooth is broken. Your dentist will perform a crown preparation, which means they will remove tooth structure from all surfaces of the tooth until a "stump" is left. A crown will then be fabricated to fit over the stump. Some offices have equipment that allow them to make the crown the same day, while others will give you a temporary crown and have you come back a couple of weeks later to place the permanent crown.

The cost of a crown depends on what kind of material it is made from. There are many options these days and most people prefer a tooth-colored or porcelain material crown. Base metal crowns are often less expensive and gold crowns are usually more expensive.

Dental veneers are a common method used to fix cracked or chipped anterior teeth. As their name implies, a dental veneer covers the facial (front) side of the tooth - the side you can see. They are less invasive than a crown because only tooth structure from one side of the tooth needs to be removed. In some instances, tooth structure may not need to be removed at all.

Usually, the cost of a veneer is the same for each tooth. However, your dentist may offer a few different options based on the aesthetic result of the veneer. Some dental labs who specialize in aesthetic cases will charge more than others. Also, if your dentist does composite veneers, those are less expensive than ones made in a lab.

Dental implants are the most expensive way to fix a broken tooth, but if the tooth has broken so much that it is not restorable, this might be your only option. Dental implants consist of at least three parts: the implant, the abutment, and the crown. From start to finish, a dental implant will take several months to complete.

There are many factors that will impact dental implants cost. There can be a handful of additional procedures you may need based on your bone level.

If the tooth has broken below the gumline, most of the time there is no way to repair it and an extraction of the entire tooth is required. This is also the case if there are vertical root fractures, which cannot be fixed. Many general dentists perform extractions, but you may need to see an oral surgeon if your case is more complicated. You'll be given a local anesthetic and the dental professional will use a series of instruments to loosen the tooth prior to extraction.

Extractions are classified as either "simple" or "surgical." Simple extractions cost less than surgical ones, and you will also pay less if you see a general dentist instead of an oral surgeon.

During your dentist appointment, an oral evaluation will take place during a routine dental check-up and if you make an office visit to address a specific issue, like a chipped tooth. Exams that only pertain to one focused area are called limited examinations.

Your dentist will need to take at least one X-ray in nearly every situation. That could include periapicals (PAs), bitewings (BWX), panoramic images (panos), or even a more extensive CBCT scan that gives them a 3D image to review. CBCT scans are much more expensive than the other three types.