Cracked Teeth

Chipped or cracked teeth may occur due to:

• Eating – Our teeth’ primary function is to break down food to eat. However, certain hard foods, such as ice, nuts, hard candies, and even popcorn, can chip or crack your tooth.
• Playing Sports – High-impact sports are among the most common ways you can crack or chip a tooth. Repeated blows to the body or head can cause your upper and lower jaw to collide. When playing any sport, it’s important to wear a mouth guard at all times.
• Injury – A sudden blow to the teeth due to a car accident, fistfight, or slip-and-fall can all lead to chipped or cracked teeth. It’s important to act with caution to avoid injury.
• Teeth Grinding/Clenching – Some patients clench and grinding their teeth while they sleep. The constant pressure can lead to cracks forming or even part of your tooth breaking. If you know you clench or grind your teeth at night, you must wear a night guard to prevent damage to your teeth.
• Fillings – When a filling is placed in your tooth, it can actually compromise its structural integrity making it more susceptible to breaks.

Are There Different Types of Cracks?

There are various types of tooth cracks that range in severity. In some cases, it may be nothing more than a cosmetic surface crack. However, other types of tooth cracks may require immediate dental care to alleviate pain and prevent decay and infection. Whatever the severity of damage to your teeth, you can always count on the experts at Sand Dollar Dental to assist you. Our knowledgeable and experienced dental professionals have the right tools and services to repair any type of tooth crack, including:

• Craze Lines – Craze lines are hairline cracks in the enamel of your teeth. They don’t cause any pain, nor will they lead to tooth decay. However, patients may feel self- conscious about them and schedule a cosmetic procedure to correct them.
• Fractured Cusps – Fractured cusps are somewhat common in teeth that have tooth fillings. It occurs when a portion of the tooth’s chewing surface breaks off. However, the tooth root, blood vessels, and gum line are unchanged. In most cases, you won’t feel any pain. However, you may experience some tooth sensitivity.
• Cracked Teeth – A cracked tooth may sometimes lead to a root canal therapy, depending on the severity of the crack and how far it extended to the root of the tooth. Oftentimes, you’ll experience sensitivity and pain.
• Split Teeth – A split tooth means that the crack has traveled through the entire tooth and has damaged the tooth’s pulp. In most instances of a split tooth, the tooth isn’t salvageable and must be extracted. Our professionals can then place a dental implant in place of the missing tooth.

What Services Do You Provide for Cracked or Chipped Tooth?

At Sand Dollar Dental, our team is able to provide a variety of reliable dental services to help repair your cracked or chipped tooth. Every instance of tooth damage is different, and our dental professionals will provide you with the best solutions for your injury. We utilize innovative dental technology to get a clear picture of the extent of the injury to allow us to make a quality diagnose. For those patients with dental anxiety, we also offer sedation dentistry to alleviate stress and reduce the pain. Our dental services include:

• Dental Implants – In instances where your tooth cannot be salvaged, we may suggest a dental implants. Dental implants are a reliable and aesthetically pleasing way to mimic your original smile.
• Root Canals – In instances where a crack has penetrated through the tooth to the root, root canal therapy may be recommended to alleviate pain and help prevent inflammation and infection. A crown will be place after the root canal is completed to protect and restore the tooth.
• Crowns – In cases where the tooth’s chewing surface has been damaged, but the root remains in good condition, we will recommend a crown. Our doctor will shape the chewing surface of your tooth, create a custom crown, and place it over the tooth root to protect it from further damage.
• Polishing – Polishing, or cosmetic contorting, is used for minor chips in the teeth that can be shaped.

What Should I Do If My Tooth Is Chipped or Cracked?

If you have a chipped or cracked tooth, it can make your teeth more susceptible to plaque and tooth decay. Not only that, you may also feel pain and sensitivity around the broken tooth. If you feel pain or experience bleeding, you should contact our office for emergency dental care.