Our teeth can crack for any number of reasons and in different ways, depending on the location and the cause of the break. It can be slightly chipped, fractured, broken all the way down to the gumline and so on. But are there any cracked tooth treatments?
Even though our teeth are incredibly strong and durable, they are vulnerable and you’re running a risk of cracking a tooth when you bite into something that is very hard, like candy or nuts. It’s also not a good idea to use your teeth as tools, so we highly don’t recommend biting down on hard metal surfaces.
Not all cracks will make a tooth split all the way down, but without cracked tooth treatments, it will eventually split into two pieces. Not only that, a cracked tooth can easily lead to infected gums, because the interior of the tooth is exposed. It can also be extremely painful when you bit into something hard or you drink something too cold/hot or sweet.
Cracked tooth treatments are possible and can be done by a skilled dentist. But not all situations are suitable for fixing.
Possible cracked tooth treatments
There are multiple cracked tooth treatments. Which one will your dentist go with, depends on the size of the crack, location and of course the type. Your dentist can choose between the following methods:
Bonding
Teeth imperfections, as well as cracks, are most easily repaired through bonding. This is one of the most straightforward cracked tooth treatments out there. The dentist will first prepare the surface of the tooth. He will then mold the bonding so that it fits perfectly the natural shape of you tooth. Then he will seal the bonding in place using an ultraviolet light.
With proper dental care, dental bonding can last for many years.
Veneers
If one of your front-facing teeth are slightly chipped, then veneers is the ideal solution to this problem. These cracked tooth treatments are used only when the tooth is slightly chipped, but is otherwise in good condition.
The first step of the process is to scrape off a bit of your tooth enamel in order to make room for the veneers. Once that is done, the dentist will take a mold and make a “negative” of your tooth so they could create the veneers in a laboratory.
Once the veneers are done, you will need to come back to the dentist so he could apply each one of the veneers to your teeth.
This is a slightly delicate and complicated procedure than bonding and it requires two sessions. The first session is for removing some of the enamel and taking a mold of your tooth. The second is for fitting the veneers.
Just like dental bonding, they are also considered to be a long-tern solution which can last for decades, with proper care of course.
Cracked tooth treatments using dental crowns
Cracked tooth can also be repaired with the help of dental crowns. It’s very similar to dental veneers, although they fit the entire tooth, like a cap. They are made from very durable, medical grade material last for a long time. Aside from using dental caps as cracked tooth treatments, they are also used in order to prevent tooth loss.
If you noticed that your teeth are all the sudden, sensitive to hot/cold beverages and hurt when you bit down on something hard, you can be having a cracked tooth. It’s best to contact our dentists as soon as possible and schedule a dental appointment.
