Ways To Fix Broken Teeth
Having a broken tooth can be traumatic. It can keep you from feeling comfortable and confident when smiling, and can make eating and talking less comfortable depending on the severity and location. Common causes of a broken tooth include accidents, tooth injury, cavity, and even eating hard foods such as ice or candy. Luckily, with the phenomenal technology of modern dentistry there are solutions for most dental issues, including a broken tooth including the following:
Dental Sealants
Dental sealants are ideal when a cracked or infected tooth needs protection. Dental sealants can be used to fix tooth holes, and can function as a barrier to protect against any cavity-causing type bacteria that could potentially cause damage to your teeth. Dental sealants are often placed by a dentist usually on the back sides of premolars and molars.
Fillings
Fillings are one of the most common, as well one of the safest dental procedures used by dentists for fixing broken teeth. Using the restorative material to fill and fix cracks, a filling is a temporary, but usually long-lasting, fix. Fillings can be beneficial especially when damage is caused by cavity, and it is a relatively painless and cost-effective treatment.
Veneers
Veneers are made from a composite resin or porcelain material, and essentially are custom made and custom colored shells that can restore the look and feel of your broken tooth. Veneers are popular as a cosmetic treatment for broken teeth, and can be really helpful for anyone feeling timid about smiling because of a broken tooth. This process goes beyond just the dental issues, and addresses cosmetic issues as well.
Crowns
Crowns can be a very effective treatment for broken teeth. Crowns are typically thicker than veneers, but are also used to restore a tooth’s appearance and shape. Crowns can be used to cover an entire affected area, and are generally made from ceramic, porcelain, or metal. Most dentists consider crowns to be the safest option for restoration treatments addressing broken or
decayed teeth.
Bonding
Bonding is considered by many dentists to be the simplest, and least involved treatment option for damaged teeth. In this treatment a small chip of composite material is used to improve and correct a tooth’s appearance. A blue light is then used to harden the molding (composite) to complete the fix.
Root canals
Broken and/or cracked teeth often lead to the development of infectious pulp that accumulates in the place where a tooth is broken or cracked. In this kind of scenario a dentist will likely recommend a root canal for treatment. First the infection is removed, and then a crown is placed in order to prevent spreading of the infection.
Dental implants
Dental implants are considered an extensive treatment procedure, but can be very effective for restoration of a broken tooth (or teeth) - especially one that is close to the gum-line. In this procedure the broken tooth is extracted and an implant, which includes a prosthetic tooth, is placed.
Broken teeth can sometimes be a dental emergency. Visit your dentist as soon as possible if you know or suspect you have a broken tooth (or teeth).