Cracked Tooth Treatments
If you’ve noticed a crack in your tooth, you may be wondering what options you have to treat the crack.
Below is helpful information about cracked teeth, including the causes, symptoms to look for, and the most common cracked tooth treatment options.
What Causes a Cracked Tooth?
A cracked tooth can be caused by a few different things, including:
- Injury to the tooth
- Chewing hard objects
- Teeth clenching and grinding
- Eating hard foods
- Age
Symptoms of a Cracked Tooth
The most apparent symptom of a cracked tooth is a visible crack. With that said, cracks are sometimes difficult to spot. Some other symptoms to look out for include:
- Ongoing pain in the tooth
- Discomfort when eating
- Swelling
- Sensitivity
Even if you don’t have a cracked tooth, these symptoms shouldn’t be taken lightly. Make sure you schedule an appointment with your dentist so they can take a look at your tooth to determine the underlying cause of the symptoms you are experiencing. From there, they will put together a treatment plan.
Cracked Tooth Treatments
The treatment option your dentist decides on will depend on the severity of the crack, any infection, and more. The most common cracked tooth treatments include:
- Bonding: For minor cracks, dental bonding is often a good repair option. Dental bonding is mainly a cosmetic procedure and helps to restore the appearance of a tooth that has a minor crack or chip.
- Veneer: Dental veneers help to restore teeth that have a more significant crack. They provide more durability than bonding, while maintaining more of the natural tooth than a dental crown.
- Crown: A dental crown is the most durable repair option, but it is also the most severe. A prosthetic crown replaces most or all of the natural crown of the patient while allowing the healthy root to remain.
If the tooth has become too cracked to salvage or it is severely infected, your dentist may decide to extract the tooth. This is not a decision your dentist takes lightly and is a last resort to protect your overall health.
Prevention
If you are worried about developing a crack in your tooth or you want to prevent further cracks from forming, there are some actions you can take to prevent cracks from forming in the future. These include:
- Brushing twice a day, flossing, and rinsing
- Visiting your dentist every six months for a cleaning and checkup
- Wearing a night guard if you suffer from bruxism
- Stopping the chewing of hard objects like pen caps or ice
- Stopping the use of tobacco products
Contact Us
If you have a crack in your tooth, contact us today to schedule an appointment for an examination. We’ll have a dentist take a look at your tooth and determine what cracked tooth treatment best meets your needs. Do not wait for the crack to get worse. Set your appointment as soon as possible to protect your tooth and your health overall.