Broken, fractured or chipped teeth can look like new again
Chipped, broken and fractured teeth can be extremely painful and sensitive. Sharp edges can also cut the tongue and cheeks. These need to be restored to prevent further serious and costly damage to the tooth and adjacent structures such as the tongue and cheeks.
What problems can cracked teeth cause?
Cracked teeth are becoming one of the biggest problems to manage today, and it is also a common reason why teeth have to be extracted. The cracks in the teeth can vary from large fractures of the tooth to small internal hairline fractures.
Smaller chips can also be present on teeth for a long time. They are usually not painful but can be unsightly. These can progress into larger, more painful cracks and fractures.
What causes teeth to crack?
Aside from accidents, it is usually bad habits (that a patient is often unaware of) which can cause a tooth to crack. This includes patients who clench or grind their teeth, or chew on hard objects often. Opening bottles with teeth can also cause some pretty bad damage.
If a patient has had a large filling in place for many years it can also weaken the tooth. When a tooth has a large filling in place, it makes the tooth mechanically weaker as there is not enough tooth structure present to hold the tooth together. Hence what starts out as hairline cracks can evolve into something much bigger.
How can you prevent and treat cracked teeth?
By having regular dental visits, the cracks in teeth can be picked up sooner hence making it easier to plan the treatment. A simple crack is usually easy to manage with a filling or a filling and crown. A complex crack may be one that has involved the nerve of the tooth, in which case root canal treatment may need to consider before placing a crown/onlay on the tooth. In a case where the tooth has been split by a crack, it will probably need to be extracted. Typical options for treatment include:
- White fillings and composite bonding
- Same day CEREC porcelain fillings and crowns
If cracks in teeth are not managed, they can weaken the tooth to the point where it cannot be saved, and will require extraction.