I broke off a corner of a First Molar last night. There's really no pain at all - just very sensitive to cold, as my teeth have always been. I've lost a piece from a different tooth before and the dentist was able to install a crown. However, with this one, the piece seems to have broken right at the gum line (see the picture).

I was doing some research and saw that sometimes a "crown lengthening" is required. Obviously, a proper diagnosis can't be done online, but I was wondering if a lengthening would be required in this case. I was thinking (hoping) that maybe a molar is big enough that a crown can be fitted anyway. Or is lengthening required any time a tooth is broken at the gum line?

I'm just trying to think things through before I go to the dentist. Money is very tight for me right now and I'm trying to get a feel for what I may be in for.

Thanks so much for any help.

Hi.. jstern... as you say, very difficult to see on line.

It's not unlike one of my molars, only difference being was that it was the dentist who broke it off whilst filling it.

The complete corner was missing ,which I didn't realise, until I arrived home and looked in the mirror.

This went below the gum line, all the dentist did was to create a corner of the tooth, made completely from filler composition,so I had three white corners and one silver.

It took a while to settle down but I remember him saying, if it didn't then he would fit a crown.. lots of money, which I didn't have, so I persevered until the pain subsided, it sounds like you have a similar condition.

Some dentists just filler the hole, where as others will drill what's left of your tooth to a post, just big enough to support a crown, it depends what you want really... and the money of coarse.

I would go along to the dentist as soon as possible though as it sounds as if the nerve could be exposed... hence the sensitivity.

Goodluck