Repairing Fractured Teeth...
If you're still walking around with that fractured or broken tooth you received as a reward for your most famous skateboarding stunt or swan dive years ago, you're not alone. Many people who simply aren't aware of the consequences of not repairing chipped or broken teeth or who are fearful of what a repaired tooth will look or feel like, simply choose to let a damaged tooth go unrepaired. A damaged tooth can be saved and repaired to look and feel like the real thing, perhaps even better. There are several options available for treatment; the more informed you are, the more likely you will be pleased with the results.
It might be assumed by some that dentists won't be needed once science learns to completely control dental decay and gum disease. Not so! Accidents account for a large share of every general dentist's practice. Countless tooth fractures are the result of even minor traffic accidents. Such high incidence of this type of fracture is directly tied to an overwhelming failure to properly utilize safety belts. Bike falls, sports mishaps, chewing such hard objects as ice, and even blows to the face, give most dentists plenty to do. A fractured tooth can look cute in the mouth of a tousled-haired youngster, but it can evolve into a source of embarrassment for the appearance-conscious adolescent or adult. Fractures are most often caused by accidents that also damage the pulp of the tooth where the nerves are. A serious blow can even cause the eventual death of the pulp, which can be the result even if you do not feel extreme pain at the time of the accident. Although you may feel no pain, you shouldn't ignore or postpone going to the dentist. In such cases, the first outward sign of serious damage may come when the tooth begins to discolor. If this happens, several dental techniques may be employed to try to save the tooth and restore it esthetically. The first step is to replace the damaged nerve structure with a root canal filling. Once this is done, cosmetic restoration can begin. Less complex fractures, such as a small chip off the biting edge of your tooth, may be repaired simply by acid-etch bonding to fill out the slight defect, or may be contoured by trimming it down with a sandpaper disc. Re-shaping will work if your tooth is still long enough that contouring won't harm your smileline. But even if the contoured tooth is shortened, its neighbours can also be shortened to compensate. Avoid crowning if possible because the color, shape and health of the tooth are preserved better with the more simple therapies. Bonding works well if a sufficient amount of enamel is present to obtain an acid-etch to anchor the resin restoration. If not enough enamel is present, the bond may not last long enough to be viable. In this case, a porcelain laminate or full crown may be the best alternative, unless your dentist feels dentin adhesives will prove to be successful. Porcelain crowns and bridges can also fracture. Keep an eye on your metal-bonded crowns to see if dark outlines appear at your gumline. If a dark outline that wasn't there originally gradually appears, you may either have a fracture or shrinkage of the gum tissue exposing the metal band. If it is a fracture, the loss of porcelain at your gumline may weaken the rest of the porcelain veneer and make it more susceptible to additional damage. Eventually the crown may have to be replaced. However, some minor porcelain fractures can be repaired by smoothing the chipped porcelain or bonding composite resin to the area. The first consideration when you chip or fracture a tooth is determining whether the pulp has been damaged. Th pulp is the vital, living part of the tooth. Ultimately, the condition of the pulp and the amount of tooth structure left will determine the choice of treatment for your fractured tooth.
It might be assumed by some that dentists won't be needed once science learns to completely control dental decay and gum disease. Not so! Accidents account for a large share of every general dentist's practice. Countless tooth fractures are the result of even minor traffic accidents. Such high incidence of this type of fracture is directly tied to an overwhelming failure to properly utilize safety belts. Bike falls, sports mishaps, chewing such hard objects as ice, and even blows to the face, give most dentists plenty to do. A fractured tooth can look cute in the mouth of a tousled-haired youngster, but it can evolve into a source of embarrassment for the appearance-conscious adolescent or adult. Fractures are most often caused by accidents that also damage the pulp of the tooth where the nerves are. A serious blow can even cause the eventual death of the pulp, which can be the result even if you do not feel extreme pain at the time of the accident. Although you may feel no pain, you shouldn't ignore or postpone going to the dentist. In such cases, the first outward sign of serious damage may come when the tooth begins to discolor. If this happens, several dental techniques may be employed to try to save the tooth and restore it esthetically. The first step is to replace the damaged nerve structure with a root canal filling. Once this is done, cosmetic restoration can begin. Less complex fractures, such as a small chip off the biting edge of your tooth, may be repaired simply by acid-etch bonding to fill out the slight defect, or may be contoured by trimming it down with a sandpaper disc. Re-shaping will work if your tooth is still long enough that contouring won't harm your smileline. But even if the contoured tooth is shortened, its neighbours can also be shortened to compensate. Avoid crowning if possible because the color, shape and health of the tooth are preserved better with the more simple therapies. Bonding works well if a sufficient amount of enamel is present to obtain an acid-etch to anchor the resin restoration. If not enough enamel is present, the bond may not last long enough to be viable. In this case, a porcelain laminate or full crown may be the best alternative, unless your dentist feels dentin adhesives will prove to be successful. Porcelain crowns and bridges can also fracture. Keep an eye on your metal-bonded crowns to see if dark outlines appear at your gumline. If a dark outline that wasn't there originally gradually appears, you may either have a fracture or shrinkage of the gum tissue exposing the metal band. If it is a fracture, the loss of porcelain at your gumline may weaken the rest of the porcelain veneer and make it more susceptible to additional damage. Eventually the crown may have to be replaced. However, some minor porcelain fractures can be repaired by smoothing the chipped porcelain or bonding composite resin to the area. The first consideration when you chip or fracture a tooth is determining whether the pulp has been damaged. Th pulp is the vital, living part of the tooth. Ultimately, the condition of the pulp and the amount of tooth structure left will determine the choice of treatment for your fractured tooth.
