A broken tooth
When a tooth breaks, it is usually the result of biting down on something
hard, or else it happens as a sports or other injury. It may not cause pain
or discomfort at first, but it should not be ignored.
If you wait, the broken edge of the tooth could cut into your gum or
tongue. You may lose even more of the tooth. The exposure of the
inside of the tooth may cause tooth decay and if bacteria reach the roots,
this could lead to a root canal infection.
Solutions may avoid having to have the tooth taken out. If a filling is
recommended, then you can opt for a tooth-coloured filling to match the
natural shade of your teeth. If a filling isn’t appropriate, then a crown
could be fitted, for which you may have a temporary crown whilst you
wait a short time for your crown to be made.
Chipped or cracked teeth
Having chips or cracks in your teeth is not unusual, but well worth having
them checked. If those cracks allow bacteria through to the dentin of
your teeth, it may result in decay.
Treatments are various and depend on different factors. Solutions could
be veneers, composite bonding or fillings.
Veneers are wafer thin shells of porcelain or ceramic that directly bond to the
front surfaces of your teeth.
Composite bonding is a dental procedure that uses a fine layer of putty-like resin.
This is placed on top of your natural teeth, then shaped and moulded to match
the size and shape of your original tooth.
Fillings can now be provided to match your natural teeth. Whilst most of us
recognise these as necessary for filling holes left by decay, fillings can also fill
any cracks.
A lost tooth
Sometimes, there just isn’t enough of the natural tooth left to be able to
do anything with, so it has to be taken out. Fortunately, dentures have
come a long way in recent years and are more wearable than ever. Or
there are dental implants. These are a long term solution and the nearest
you can achieve to a natural look and securely attached teeth.
You can find out more about dental implants here.
No matter how trivial you think some damage to your tooth or teeth, it is
always worth having a dentist cast an expert eye, so that you are
properly informed and reassured.
