Tristan,
I think a lot of dentists would tell you that you should go in to a dentist and have it checked to be sure. But I’ll be honest with you, at this point you’re probably completely okay. And, if you’re not, the tooth will soon be totally gone. Once the crown of a tooth has broken off, the rest of the tooth will decay. There is minimal risk of infection getting into the bone at that point because the tooth is completely open. And with no enamel left, the decay will go quickly.

But I will add that it is a risky proposition to let a decaying tooth get that bad. You were lucky that you didn’t get a nasty infection earlier. Count your blessings. And I’m reading between the lines and figuring that it’s been a long time since you’ve been to a dentist. There are undoubtedly other teeth that are on their way to becoming infected. It’s so much simpler fixing a small cavity than a big one—I would get a checkup.

– Dr. Hall

Do you have a comment or anything else to add? We’d love to hear from you. Enter your comment below. Or click here to ask Dr. Hall a question.