What To Do If You Have A Cracked Tooth
The moment where you bite down into something the wrong way and crack a tooth is traumatic. First of all, don’t panic or at least try not to. Easier said than done, right? This is a nerve-wracking dental situation that happens quite often to many different people. Sometimes a cracked tooth occurs over time and suddenly, you notice a crack in your tooth. It’s a common condition that causes tooth loss. At Vero VIP Implants & Periodontics, this is a condition at our dental practice that we see quite often. If this has happened to you, give us a call to schedule an appointment as soon as possible with our dentist in Vero Beach, FL.
The Causes of a Cracked Tooth
There are many reasons why a tooth may crack. It can happen as a result of grinding your teeth. You may not even realize you are grinding your teeth because people tend to do this at night while they sleep. Your dentist in Vero Beach,v FL will be able to see signs during an exam of excessive grinding.
Another cause is biting down into very hard foods, such as candy, nuts, or even ice. Try to avoid biting into things that you know could potentially damage your teeth.
There is also the possibility of injury to the mouth, like during a car accident, physical fight, fall, or even an injury sustained while you are playing sports. When that happens, you are going to feel the damage from the cracked tooth right away.
Finally, cracked teeth can simply happen due to aging. More people over the age of 50 end up having cracked teeth just from regular wear and tear over time.
Symptoms You May Feel
When there is a crack in your tooth, you may feel pain when you bite down into something. You could also have sensitivity to differences in temperature of foods or liquids. Hot or cold could bother that part of your tooth more where it is cracked and damaged.
There may be swelling of the gums right around the cracked tooth due to an infection that has spread into other parts of your mouth.
The problem with a cracked tooth is that the pain may not be something you are feeling all the time. It could come and go, but getting it taken care of as soon as possible is the right solution. The problem is only going to get worse if you don’t see us at Vero VIP to get it fixed.
Get Treatment ASAP
There are a few ways that we treat a cracked tooth with our periodontist Vero Beach, FL. First, the dentist will do an exam and x-rays. They will visually inspect the area and feel with their fingers where the suspected crack may be. Dental dye could be used to highlight the area that is cracked to see the damage easier.
Then our dentist will determine the best course of treatment. The extent of the crack and whether it extends to the gum line is one of the biggest considerations in figuring out how to fix it. Some of those methods of fixing the crack could include bonding, which is the use of a plastic resin to fill in the area that is cracked.
Another way to fix the cracked tooth is with a dental crown. This ceramic or porcelain dental prosthetic is placed over the tooth after an impression is created, and the tooth is filed down to fit the crown. The crown will usually be there for the rest of your life.
If the crack is bad enough, a root canal procedure could be performed. That means the pulp of your tooth is damaged to the point that it needs to be removed to maintain the healthy structure of the tooth before the crack is repaired.
At last resort, if the tooth isn’t able to be saved because the crack has damaged it beyond repair, then the dentist may have to extract the tooth. Then you may be looking into having dental implants Vero Beach to restore the proper look of your mouth and teeth.
Contact Vero Implants & Periodontics
At Vero Implants & Periodontics, cracked teeth are a service that we handle at the office every day. Contact us to schedule an appointment to take care of any cracked teeth or other issues you may have.