Can a Cracked Tooth be Saved
If you have a cracked tooth, you will experience pain and tooth sensitivity. When a large crack occurs, the gums around the damaged tooth can become swollen and hypersensitivity to hot, cold, or sweet foods and liquids occurs. Such a tooth will also hurt when biting and chewing. If you have cracked your tooth, you may wonder if you can save the tooth or if it will ultimately need to be removed. Generally, depending on the size and severity of the crack, your dentist will have options to save your tooth?
A cracked tooth is a serious problem
Leaving a damaged tooth untreated may lead to serious complications over time. The sharp edges of a chipped tooth irritate the mucous membrane, tongue or inner cheeks. Persistent pain, swelling, unpleasant breath or pain in the lymph nodes in the neck may indicate the development of a periodontal abscess, which requires cleaning and antibiotic therapy.
The dentist examines the tooth using a magnifying glass or a dental microscope and checks for swelling and inflammation. Using a special dye, you can also try to highlight the cracks that have occurred. He also takes an X-ray to exclude problems with the dental pulp that are the result of mechanical trauma.
What is the treatment for a cracked tooth?
The smallest cracks are not visible even on X-ray. If the tooth does not show any symptoms, such micro-damages cannot be treated but observed. However, if the crack resulting from the injury is so extensive that it reaches the dental pulp, you should react immediately. Then the intervention of an endodontist and treatment under a microscope may be necessary.
However, the choice of treatment method depends on the location of the crack and the degree of damage. The treatments include:
- tooth reconstruction using a dental filling; if the damage affects the front tooth, bonding is used, which uses a plastic composite material (sometimes it is also possible to glue a broken tooth fragment). The dentist prepares the tooth appropriately, then covers it with subsequent layers of composite resin in a natural shade until it obtains the appropriate shape and length, and then hardens the filling. This is the best and fastest method of reconstruction in the case of minor damage to the tooth hard tissue.
- reconstruction with a veneer - the dentist first grinds the tooth, then uses special cement to attach a thin ceramic flake to its outer surface, which constitutes a natural extension of the tooth. Ceramic veneer is resistant to discoloration, gives a lasting and aesthetic effect - the appropriate shape and shade are always selected. Veneers are a universal solution, both in the case of larger damage, e.g. fractures, and chipping or asymmetry of front teeth (from "number one" to "five").
- reconstruction with a crown that will completely cover the cracked or broken tooth. Installing a crown usually requires two visits, during which time the so-called temporary crown. A crown can be used for most cracked teeth.
- inlay filling, inlays are made of both ceramics and composite (for teeth that are uneven or damaged by grinding). This type of filling is more durable than composite, strengthens the tooth structure and reproduces its natural anatomy. This solution works well as a reconstruction after root canal treatment or in the case of significant wear of the side teeth.
In the most severe cases, when the crack covers the entire tooth and the mechanical trauma causes damage to the living dental pulp, root canal treatment will be necessary before tooth reconstruction. Only then is the tooth rebuilt with a crown on a crown-root post. If the tooth is very damaged, the only possible solution may be to remove it and rebuild it with a bridge or dental implant.