A cracked tooth is as serious as you take it, really. A cracked tooth could be the difference between you living a life that is full; eating the foods you want and smiling in pictures with your family. Or it could be a mild inconvenience you ignore until it becomes too painful to continue doing so. The choice is yours, but the consensus recommendation is that you take appropriate action early and get this thing checked out before it becomes a monumental problem.
What Causes a Cracked Tooth?
A broken tooth is usually the result of dental decay. Decay can usually be traced back to poor dental hygiene. Without proper care of your gums and teeth, food particles degrade and become areas of concentrated bacteria. The bacteria grows and begins to attack healthy tissues, leading to bone loss and gum infections.
Infections, disease, and trauma are the primary causes of tooth loss or breaking. Infections and disease can typically be prevented through proper care and hygiene routines. Frequent flossing in between teeth reduces bacteria’s access to the gumline. Brushing removes plaque and foodstuffs from the surface of your teeth, and promotes gum and enamel growth.
Your break could also be caused by some force or blunt trauma. You may need an emergency dentist if this break is severe, sudden, and painful. Do not be shy, reach out to the office immediately if this is the case. Many have an after hours number for emergencies.
What can you do to repair a Fractured or Broken Tooth?
See your dentist. They will need to address the extent of the damage and see what options are available for your situation. The may opt to rebind the tooth with some composite binding. They made add a silicone or synthetic tooth shaping material, which can be molded and treated to take the shape and durability of the original tooth that was cracked. They may also consider removing or extracting the tooth, if for instance the root is so compromised from gum rot that repair would not suffice. In this case you would want to consider tooth replacement, in order to protect yourself.
Why you should not wait to repair or address a cracked tooth
The inconvenience of having to see the dentist or wait in the waiting room is simply not worth the downside. Many people spend years suffering through depression, anxiety, and skipping out on their favorite meals because they do not want to wait to see their dentist. However, if you hurry up and get it done you can have your teeth fixed and be on your way much sooner than you think. Many composite repairs occur right in the chair, and you’ll leave with a nice cleaning as well. The long and short of it is–see your dentist. See them to prevent cracked teeth, see them to improve your dental hygiene, and see them at the first sign of trouble to protect yourself from disease and cracked teeth.