Did you know that the average human has a bite force of 162 pounds per square inch (psi)? Thanks to that power, you can bite, chew, grind, and crush food with your mouth.
Without the enamel, though, those actions
are sure to wear down your pearly whites. It's the hardest substance in the
body, covering your teeth. However, it has the same fracture toughness as
glass, making it easy to get a cracked front tooth.
Fortunately, a cracked tooth is
fixable. Read on to learn the top treatment options.
Dental
Bonding
Dental bonding is a process that
uses tooth-colored composite resin. It's a flexible, malleable plastic
substance often used to fill minor cavities. A curing light then makes it bond
to the teeth.
Those characteristics make dental
bonding an effective cracked tooth treatment, too. It usually works for minor
fractures, such as hairline cracks or tiny chips.
If you suffered a blow to the mouth
and see a tiny crack on your front tooth, go to an emergency dentist. Do the same if your front tooth cracked and part of it
fell out, and be sure to bring the chipped portion.
Prompt treatment ensures the crack
won't have time to worsen. As a result, your dentist may still be able to
restore your teeth through dental bonding.
Dental
Veneer
A dental veneer is an ultra-thin
shell usually made of resin or porcelain materials. It's only about one
millimeter thick, often placed on the visible surface of a stained tooth.
However, it can also fix minor flaws, such as chips, cracks, or irregular tooth
shapes.
A veneer may be a better option if
you need a cracked tooth repair treatment that can also hide stains. Since it
goes on the visible side of your front tooth, it can also camouflage
discoloration.
Dental
Crown
Unlike a dental veneer that only
covers the front part, a dental crown is a cap that goes over the entire tooth.
That makes it one of the best corrective options if your front tooth cracked in
half. Moreover, they restore not only front teeth; they can fix almost any
broken tooth.
So, if you cracked or chipped a
canine, premolar, or molar, you can get a dental crown for them.
Your dentist may also recommend a
crown if you've had a tooth treated for severe decay. Because it's thicker than
a veneer, it can help reinforce the weakened tooth.
Porcelain and zirconia are two of
the top material options you can choose from if you decide to get a dental
crown. Their texture and appearance are closest to natural teeth. That makes
them more aesthetic, but they're also among the most durable.
Restore
Your Cracked Front Tooth Now
Keep in mind that your mouth is home
to about 700 species of microbes. Some are behind tooth decay, so they can
easily cause more problems if they get into a cracked front tooth.
For that reason, it's best never to
delay having a dentist restore a broken, cracked, or chipped tooth. The sooner
the specialist can fix the injury, the lower your risks of dental decay, gum
disease, or tooth loss.
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