Fix Broken Teeth

Teeth sometimes break; this is just a fact. Whether it’s caused by eating hard food, an accident or injury, or tooth decay, a broken tooth can destroy your confidence and prevent you from smiling. Thankfully, as technology advances, dentists can offer more and more viable solutions for a vast array of dental problems, including broken teeth. If you have a broken tooth, consult your dentist to review the many solutions that may be available to you. Your dentist can help you decide which solution is best for your specific needs.

A dental crown can be a useful and effective solution for a broken tooth. The dental crown covers the entire affected tooth and is made of porcelain, ceramic, or metal, depending on its location in the mouth. Dental crowns are thick and durable and restore the broken tooth to its unbroken shape and appearance. Most dentists consider dental crowns the safest option for restoring broken teeth and teeth that are decayed. Dental veneers may also be offered to restore a broken tooth. A dental veneer is custom colored to match your teeth and is made of a thin sheet of porcelain or a composite resin material that covers the front surface of the teeth. Veneers are a very popular cosmetic restoration for people who have lost or damaged teeth, though they serve more of a cosmetic function than crowns, which also provide a significant mechanical function. Dental implants are a more extensive procedure that can help restore teeth that have broken near the gumline. For these significantly broken teeth, it is often preferable to remove the entire remaining tooth and fix a dental implant in the space where the tooth was. Bonding is perhaps the simplest dental procedure that can be used to fix a broken tooth. In a bonding procedure, your dentist will sculpt a composite material over the broken portion of the tooth, hardening this material with ultraviolet light, to fix and improve the appearance of the broken tooth.

In more severe cases, breaks or cracks in the teeth may cause the pulp inside the tooth to become infected. In cases of infection inside a broken tooth, a root canal is the likely solution. Once the infection is removed from the inside of the tooth, through a root canal procedure, the dentist will place a crown on the affected tooth, to prevent any infection from spreading further. Though they are less permanent than other solutions, dental fillings are a safe and quick way to repair a broken tooth, and they are also beneficial when there are dental cavities present. Dental sealants may also be used to fix a broken tooth or a hole in the tooth. These sealants protect a cracked tooth and prevent further breakage, and they also serve as a barrier against bacteria that can cause cavities and damage your teeth.

Regardless of the cause, and regardless of the preferred solution, a broken or chipped tooth can be considered a dental emergency and should be treated as quickly as possible, to prevent infection and further damage. If you discover that you have broken or cracked a tooth, call your dentist as soon as you can to explore your treatment options. The need for prompt treatment should outweigh any shame or embarrassment you feel, and the results of treatment can prevent you from being ashamed of your smile.

More on Fixing Teeth : Fix Chipped Teeth