Cracked Teeth Treatment
While our teeth are made to be hard and durable, there are still plenty of external contributors that can lead to cracked or damaged teeth. Grinding one’s teeth throughout the day or night, chewing on excessively hard foods, or even the natural advancement of age can all cause damage to the teeth.
At Venetian Pointe Dentistry, we possess both the knowledge and expertise to prevent further damage in the teeth through dental procedures.
Cracked teeth causes
As mentioned, there are various circumstances that can lead to cracked teeth. This includes:
-teeth grinding
-biting down on hard foods
-forcible blows to the mouth from sports injuries, fights, or car accidents
-abrupt temperature changes in the mouth
-age
Types of cracked teeth
In order to properly treat cracked teeth, it is important to understand the differences between different types of cracked teeth.
Craze lines are small cracks found in a tooth’s enamel, or outer covering of the teeth. These types of cracks are so miniscule that they have no danger to the tooth and have no concern other than those of a cosmetic nature.
A fractured cusp occurs when a piece of the chewing surface of a tooth breaks off. This often happens around a filling previously put into place by your dentist. This type of crack rarely damages the soft center, or the pulp, of the tooth, and causes minimal to no pain. An issue of this nature is often resolved by placing a new filling or crown over the damaged area to protect the tooth.
A cracked tooth occurs when a crack extends from the chewing surface of the tooth towards a tooth’s root. If the crack hasn’t reached the gum line it is usually salvageable. Regardless, some form of treatment will be required.
The minimum treatment for a cracked tooth is a full crown. This will protect the cracked tooth and hold the cracked tooth together. If the pulp is damaged then a root canal is most likely needed to treat the injury.
If the crack extends past the gum line, the tooth will more than likely need to be extracted. In these types of situations it is important to act quickly. If you feel like you have severely cracked a tooth, be sure to call your dentist immediately.
A split tooth is exactly what it sounds like. In this situation, the crack has exceeded well into the gum line and could potentially be in two pieces entirely. The tooth will most likely need to be extracted, as such extensive damage makes it nearly impossible to salvage the tooth as a whole. However, there is a chance your dentist at VP Dentistry may be able to save a portion of the tooth if we act promptly.
A vertical root fracture occurs when a crack starts below the gumline and travels outwards. These cracks generally go unnoticed for a time since they are not on the surface of the tooth. However, they eventually become noticed when the surrounding gum and bone become infected.
In most cases the removal of the tooth is necessary, with a possibility of saving a portion of the tooth.
Cracked teeth prevention
It is important to treat our teeth with care so we can avoid any types of cracking. In some cases it may be more natural as age progresses and bone density becomes more of an issue, but there are certainly practices we can employ to prevent teeth cracking from non-natural methods.
-avoid chewing on hard objects such as ice
-try to avoid consciously grinding or clenching your teeth
-wear a mouthguard for protection when partaking in sports
Additionally one of the best practices in preventing further damage to already cracked teeth is quickly acting by calling a professional at Venetian Pointe Dentistry in Orlando, Florida. The sooner we can get you into the office to fully diagnose the injury, the better chance we have of preventing additional damage or avoiding the need for tooth extraction.
