Cracked or broken teeth can lead to a number of dental and oral problems, most notably infection. Regardless of the cause, whether it’s an injury or an accident, it’s important to repair a cracked or broken tooth as soon as possible to prevent harmful bacteria and microorganisms from infecting your gums and weakening the structural integrity of your teeth.
With the right broken tooth treatment plan, a dentist could restore your tooth and give you the confidence to smile widely once again.
Why You Should Repair a Cracked or Broken Tooth
Cracked teeth are a cosmetic and health issue that need to be addressed quickly. The longer you neglect to treat a broken or chipped tooth, the worse it can get. And it’s not just the appearance of the tooth that’s negatively impacted. Chips in your teeth often have mild, moderate, or severe symptoms such as sensitivity to hot and cold drinks or food or even an incessant throbbing pain.
These are extremely unpleasant symptoms that no one should have to endure for long. Furthermore, the risk of oral infection becomes increasingly heightened with each passing day. Every time you eat or drink something, the potential for infection gets worse. Food particles that get caught in your teeth can generate bacteria over time. The bacteria multiply quickly and eventually infiltrate the cracks in your teeth, making their way down to your gums and infect your teeth at their roots. Plaque and tartar buildup on your teeth also increase in the process, breeding more and more bacteria over time, eventually leading to severe tooth and gum infections such as periodontitis.
All of this tooth trauma can easily be avoided with simple dental treatments to fix a broken tooth.
What Are the Different Types of Cracked Teeth?
What is the best type of broken tooth treatment? How do you know if you even have a broken tooth?
There are many signs and symptoms of broken or cracked teeth. Passing or throbbing consistent pain and sensitivity to hot or cold foods and beverages are two of the most common signs that you may have suffered some form of tooth trauma. To determine the best treatment method for your broken tooth, it’s important to first identify the type of cracked tooth you have. Dentists can treat the following types of cracked teeth.
Craze Lines
Craze lines are those thin superficial lines that appear on the surface of your teeth or enamel. They’re harmless on their own, but can deepen over time. These may need a filling or crown.
Vertical Root Fractures
Vertical root fractures begin at the apex of the tooth and extend upward until they reach the surface. Oftentimes, they go completely unnoticed until an infection begins to form on the surrounding gums and bone. These teeth usually must be extracted.
Fractured Cusp
A fractured cusp is when a piece of the tooth breaks off of the chewing surface. This often occurs in teeth that have fillings. It doesn’t necessarily cause any pain or discomfort and it can easily be sealed with a new filling or crown.
Split Tooth
A split tooth is the opposite of a vertical root fracture. Cracking begins at the chewing surface and runs downward toward the root, effectively splitting the tooth into multiple pieces. Unfortunately, it’s impossible to save or restore a split tooth as the damage is too severe. The proper treatment for this type of broken tooth may mean extraction or if it can be saved then a crown.
Cracked Tooth
Commonly referred to as a fractured tooth or Cracked Tooth Syndrome (CTS), cracking typically occurs as a result of some form of blunt force trauma—not to be confused with cavities, which are tiny holes that form in the teeth due to tooth decay over time.
Popular Dental Treatments to Fix Broken Teeth
One way or another, whether it’s saving the original tooth or replacing it entirely with an implant or bridge or reinforcing dental material, cracked teeth can be fixed. The type of broken tooth treatment you require depends entirely on the severity of your injury. Severely cracked teeth might not be salvageable, but that doesn’t mean that you’ll have to hide your smile for the rest of your life. Here are some of the most common dental treatments to fix broken teeth.
Dental Crown
Dental crowns are used in instances where the tooth damage is so severe that a filling alone cannot repair the tooth. Remaining partial tooth structures are reinforced with what’s known as a cap or crown to protect them from infection and further damage. Composed of metal or composite resins and other materials, dental crowns are designed to look as natural as possible
and bind together the remnants of the decayed, cracked, or damaged tooth so that it’s undetectable and functions normally.
Dental Veneers
Dental veneers are covers that go over the front surface of the tooth. Unlike crowns, veneers don’t encompass the entire tooth. They only offer protection for the damaged portion of the tooth and reinforce its durability and functionality. Like crowns, however, dental veneers are custom-designed to match the exact appearance of your original tooth. Veneers can be placed on one or multiple teeth using a dental-grade bonding agent. You can also customize the appearance based on your personal preferences.
Dental Bonding
Dental bonding is an adhesive-based procedure that involves conditioning the surface of the tooth so that the bonding agent will adhere to it better. Composite bonds are used to repair broken, cracked, and misshapen teeth. They can also hide discolouration and are made to match the rest of your teeth. With proper care, they can last 10 years or more.
Fillings
Dental fillings are one of the most common and safest procedures dentists perform. Fillings are typically used to patch up cavities to prevent them from getting larger and stop the spread of oral infection.
Dental Implants
Dental implants are applied in cases where the tooth is broken or cracked near the gum line and can’t be saved. The broken tooth is removed completely and replaced with an implant.
Dental Sealants
Hairline cracks or fractures in the teeth can usually be patched up with a dental-grade sealant to prevent the crack from spreading or getting infected.
Root Canal
Root canals are typically reserved for severely infected teeth. The procedure involves the dentist carving out the pulp near the root of the tooth and cleaning out all infected material before sealing it back up and patching the tooth.
Princeview Dental Group offers extensive broken tooth treatments for patients throughout Toronto and the GTA. Contact us to book an appointment.
