There’s nothing uglier than a chipped, broken or cracked tooth. Broken tooth is normally caused by biting on something which is too hard, cavities that makes it weaken or when you are hit in the face or mouth by a fall or a greater force. Although a chipped tooth itself wont hurt if it is small, you’ll feel the sharp edge of your broken tooth easily through your tongue. Worst, if a large portion of your tooth was chipped or damaged, it will be uncomfortable to eat cold or hot foods or drinks. Even chewing will be a painful chore as the nerve endings of your tooth is damaged when it’s broken or chipped.
There are different chip or tooth fractures and breaks depending on its severity. It’s always wise to know these things to determine when you will need to go to the nearest cosmetic dentist in Newport Beach immediately.
Minor Cracks
Minor cracks or “craze lines” only affect the enamel of the tooth so there’s no need for treatment except that your dentist will polish off the area to smoothen the surface of the tooth.
Cracked Tooth
Cracked tooth involves the damage of the tooth from the nerve to the chewing surface of the tooth. To prevent the crack from spreading and getting worse, the dentist usually needs to place a crown over it and a root canal if the nerve is also damaged.
Chipped Tooth
Chipped tooth rarely requires treatment except that the dentist need to place a filling on it to prevent it from getting worse.
Broken Cusp
Broken cusp involves the damage of the chewing area of the tooth and requires a dentist to place a crown over it.
Serious Breaks
Serious breaks usually hit the nerve so bleeding occurs. To remove the damaged nerve, a root canal treatment is usually recommended. A crown is also needed for you to chew food properly.
Split Tooth
Split tooth means that your tooth has been divided into two parts vertically and depending on the severity of the damage, you may need root canal treatment, crown or have the tooth extracted if the root or roots of the tooth is beyond repair.
Decay-Induced Break
Decay-induced break. Sometimes, the tooth is damaged due to cavities which weakens the structure of the tooth. Your dentist will evaluate the extent of the cavity and might still be able to restore it. Oftentimes, removal is the only option if the decay is too extensive.
Repair of the broken, chipped or damaged tooth requires tooth bonding with the use of bonding materials like composite resin and porcelain. Your trusted cosmetic dentist in Newport Beach can design it to perfectly match the surrounding tooth making it difficult to discern where the broken tooth was or if the treatment demands, transitional bonding is used as it allows the patient to transition into more permanent dentistry. It also gives your dentist the time to work out any esthetic issues especially if you also need a crown to restore any bite-related issues where Dr. F. Anthony Rich, DDS is an expert at.
Sources:
Fractured and Broken Teeth, Colgate Oral Care Center
Repairing Chipped Teeth, yoursmilebecomesyou.com