Extrusion (moving your tooth very slowly out of the socket) is a technique your dentist may use to save a tooth broken below your gum line. During this technique, you’ll wear braces or aligners that induce downward force over many weeks on the broken tooth to pull the top of the tooth above your gum line.

If the tooth broke at the gum line or cracked, it will likely need extracted. Your dentist will do everything he or she can to save the tooth, usually fixing it with a filling, crown or other treatment. In some cases, the damage to the tooth is so severe that removing it completely is the only remedy.

Tooth extraction is performed by a dentist or oral surgeon and is a relatively quick outpatient procedure with either local, general, intravenous anesthesia, or a combination. Removing visible teeth is a simple extraction. Teeth that are broken, below the surface, or impacted require a more involved procedure.

The tooth is rocked back and forth until there is enough give in the socket for the tooth to be pulled out. There will be no pain through this process, either. You might, however, feel a sense of pressure in the mouth as the tooth is manipulated in the socket before its removal.

It might be tempting to ignore and leave a broken tooth untreated, but it’s wise if you don’t. Leaving a broken tooth untreated can lead to tooth decay, tooth sensitivity, and ultimately, tooth loss.

If the crack has extended into the tooth’s pulp, it can be treated with a root canal procedure, and a crown can protect the crack from spreading. If the crack extends below the gum line, it can’t be saved, so it will need to be extracted.

A dead or dying tooth should be treated quickly because it can become infected and have negative effects on the jaw, gums and other teeth. “Dead tooth” is not always an accurate description. Although the pulp may have died, usually the tooth can be saved with a root canal.