Do you have a habit of biting your fingernails? Do you love chewing on ice? What about biting into hard candy? If you said yes to any of those questions, then you might be putting yourself at risk of dental damage. Luckily, restorative and endodontic solutions can easily and effectively repair a chipped, broken, or cracked tooth.
Lakewood Dental Group is home to two of the most qualified and compassionate dentists in Dallas, TX. Dr. Mihir Patel and Dr. Shaun Sigurdson combine their years of experience with advanced technology to deliver top-notch care that doesn’t break the bank. Schedule your appointment now by calling our team at (214) 827-1885 or by sending us an online request.
If you’ve developed a chipped, broken, or cracked tooth due to an accident or injury, then you’ll need to know what you can do about it. Our team is here to tell you five ways that we can help you repair damaged teeth.
How do I know if I have a chipped, broken, or cracked tooth?
Our teeth are strong. Really strong. In fact, tooth enamel is an extremely durable mineral coating that is widely regarded as the strongest material in the human body. And our teeth can handle upwards of 1,100 Newtons of pressure (that’s over 200 pounds of pressure!).
But, if our teeth are so strong, then why do they break? The simple answer is: teeth are strong, but they aren’t immune to injury.
Oftentimes, a chipped, broken, or cracked tooth is the result of worn tooth enamel caused by dental decay (or cavities). However, excessive external force focused at just the right angle may be enough to damage even the strongest teeth.
So, how can you tell if you have a chipped, broken, or cracked tooth? Many times, you can plainly see the dental damage. Other times, you may feel the damage. But, there are several subtle signs that you might have a compromised tooth, such as:
- Intermittent pain, particularly when chewing
- Favoring one side of the mouth more than the other
- Heightened sensitivity to hot and cold
If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, then contact our Dallas dentists immediately. We can locate the damage and fix it quickly.
How can I fix a chipped, broken, or cracked tooth?
Depending on the extent of the damage, Dr. Patel and Dr. Sigurdson may offer several suggestions, such as:
- Dental bonding
- Dental veneers
- Dental crowns
- Pulp capping
- Root canal therapy
In some cases, our team may suggest a combination of procedures for more comprehensive treatment. Let’s explore what each treatment is and how it can benefit a chipped, broken, or cracked tooth.
Dental Bonding
Dental bonding is a relatively simple procedure in which our team uses a strong composite resin material to repair minor damage, like chips. The procedure is minimally-invasive and can usually be completed in a single office visit.
First, Dr. Patel and Dr. Sigurdson expertly color-match the composite resin to the shade of your natural smile (so you’ll hardly even know it’s there!). Then, they will carefully apply the composite resin to the damaged tooth. After shaping the composite resin, our team uses a special blue-light lamp to cure it.
The cured composite resin acts as a sort of dental ‘band aid’, which reinforces the tooth’s structural integrity and protects it from further damage. So, once the composite resin is completely cured, you are free to continue about your day with healthy, strong teeth!
Dental Veneers
Dental veneers are cosmetic coverings that our team adheres to the front surface of the teeth. Generally, dentists do not recommend veneers for cracked or broken teeth, but our team may suggest them if the damage is minimal (like a chipped tooth).
Veneers are permanent prosthetics that not only improve the appearance of your smile, but they also protect your teeth from additional damage. As such, some patients may choose veneers over dental bonding as both a cosmetic and restorative solution.
Dental Crowns
If a cracked tooth requires more rigorous treatment, then dental bonding may not be enough. Luckily, dental crowns are a great option to repair cracked teeth with intact pulp.
A dental crown is a protective, tooth-shaped cap that sits on top of a damaged tooth. The crown completely covers the tooth, which offers superior protection against further injury from force or decay. Plus, it’ll look and function just like a natural tooth, so no one will ever suspect that you injured your smile!
Typically, our team sends a digital impression of your mouth to a trusted dental laboratory where your unique restoration is crafted. While you wait for your final restoration, we protect the broken or cracked tooth with a temporary dental crown.
Pulp Capping
Sometimes, the damage from a cracked or broken tooth extends toward the pulp inside our teeth, leaving them vulnerable to infection. However, there are instances in which the damage is deep, but hasn’t yet affected the pulp. In those cases, our team may suggest pulp capping to prevent painful dental infections.
Dr. Patel and Dr. Sigurdson use a sedative dressing (like mineral trioxide aggregate or calcium hydroxide) to protect exposed or nearly exposed dental pulp. This prevents bacteria from boring into the pulp, which reduces the risk of a dental infection. Our team can further protect broken or cracked teeth by covering the damage with a dental filling or a dental crown.
Root Canal Therapy
If a broken or cracked tooth compromises the pulp inside, then a root canal may be the only way to prevent infections and save the tooth. Although root canals have a bad reputation, our team ensures your comfort by administering local anesthesia to completely numb the treatment area.
Once the area is sufficiently numb, our team will totally remove the pulp inside of the broken tooth. Then, we will fill in the space left behind with a rubber-like material known as gutta-percha. After filling in the canal, we place a quality dental crown on top of the tooth to seal and reinforce it. Et voila! You have a healthy, strong tooth that isn’t vulnerable to infections!
Chipped, broken, or cracked tooth? Call us now!
If you have dental damage, then don’t delay–schedule an appointment with the team at Lakewood Dental Group today. We can help you repair the damage and prevent additional injury.
Call our Dallas dental office at (214) 827-1885 or send our team a secure message here.
