Worn teeth are an unsightly dental problem, and compromised enamel can easily lead to broken teeth. Whether your tooth has been damaged because of an accident, age, teeth grinding, an imbalanced bite, or neglect, there are restorative dentistry solutions that can fix your tooth and strengthen your oral health.
Complications of a Broken Tooth
A broken tooth is not only a problem because it doesn’t look good. Having a damaged tooth can lead to multiple issues and complications, including:
- Infection
- Abscess.
- Loose tooth.
- Damaged nearby teeth.
- Compromised tooth root.
- Ruined restorations.
- Damaged cosmetic dentistry.
- Weakened jaw health.
It’s important to identify the cause of a tooth problem. If an accident caused the damage, that’s easy to explain. If there is an underlying oral health issue, it needs to be solidly identified so that the problem cannot only be fixed but prevented from happening again.
Solutions for Worn or Broken Teeth
If teeth are worn, it’s important to tend to them before they turn into broken teeth, and if teeth are already broken, the solutions may be similar:
- Dental crowns: When a tooth is broken but free from infection, a dental crown can cover the natural tooth to protect it from gathering bacteria, breaking further, or compromising the structure of nearby teeth. Crowns are natural-looking and durable restorations that are used in many situations, whether teeth are broken, chipped, cracked, or deteriorating.
- White fillings: Fillings come in different compositions, but the safest, healthiest, strongest, and most natural-looking fillings are either porcelain or composite. These fillings resist wear and tear and preserve as much of the natural tooth as possible.
- Inlays or onlays: Included in the white filling family and sometimes referred to as dental bonding, inlays cover the biting surface of the tooth while onlays, referred to as a partial crown, extend over one or more of the tooth’s cusps.
If complex dental issues are at the root of the worn and broken teeth, your Johns Creek dentist may recommend:
- TMJ therapy: If you grind your teeth or have a TMJ problem, this can easily lead to worn teeth. If the grinding and clenching is severe, teeth can even break under the incredible strength and pressure of your bite. With TMJ therapy, you can be fitted for a customized mouthpiece, typically worn while sleeping, that can minimize the damage that can be done when teeth rub against each other. In the use of an NTI night guard, teeth are kept apart and the muscles can be trained to relax.
- Orthodontics: When your bite is off, teeth can become worn or broken because the teeth don’t go together the way they should. Correcting the positioning of teeth as well as your bite can prevent these problems from developing.
- Periodontal treatment: Gum disease is the top cause of tooth loss in adults. Some gum disease can begin because of a broken tooth, allowing bacteria and plaque to build up, grow into infection, and compromise the health of the tooth root. Periodontal treatment is a repair and deep cleansing so that gums and teeth remain healthy and ready for dental restorations and cosmetic dentistry repairs.
If you have worn teeth or a broken tooth, don’t wait to see what happens. Make your appointment with Dr. Mitul Patel, Johns Creek restorative dentist and family dentist. Get repairs for your teeth now and enjoy healthy teeth for the future.
