High-quality oral care, proper nutrition, regular visits to the dentist - these simple steps will help protect your teeth from damage. However, the rules are not respected by all. If a tooth breaks, what should I do? First of all, you should make an appointment with the dentist.
Why can a tooth crack?
Poor nutrition leads to the fact that tooth enamel weakens. Often a problem is encountered by people who neglect foods with a high content of calcium and fluoride. If the enamel is weak, any factors can cause cracks. So, some people have bad habits of cracking nuts or opening bottles with their teeth. Ordinary household injury can also contribute to cracking. Dental problems are often found in athletes (boxers, wrestlers).
If a tooth split in a dream, it is possible that the patient suffers from bruxism. It is gnashing of teeth in a dream. The patient may have a hereditary predisposition to bruxism. Also, the disease often develops against a background of stress or overwork. The rattle leads to increased abrasion of the hard tissues of the tooth. Enamel is damaged, cracks appear. The therapy is carried out not only by the dentist, but also by the psychologist. Sometimes the patient is prescribed hypnosis sessions.
Varieties of cracks
If a tooth splits, you cannot postpone a visit to the dentist. The absence of pain is not a reason to refuse treatment. Every day the pathological process will be aggravated. The method of therapy will directly depend on how exactly the tooth split. The most dangerous are vertical cracks. As a rule, in such cases, the molar cannot be saved; it has to be removed.
In household injuries, as a rule, horizontal cracks are diagnosed. In most cases, the tooth can be extended. If a crack is observed closer to the gum, chipping is possible. Diagonal cracks occur if the molar is damaged at an angle. In this case, you cannot do without professional dental care. It is impossible to predict the consequences of damage if a tooth is split inside. Outwardly, the injury is not visible. It is most often possible to detect damage during MRI or X-ray diagnostics.
A root crack is the most rare pathology. As a rule, such damage develops against the background of an injury. It is rare to save a tooth.
Enamel crack
Such damage is diagnosed in almost everyone. Cracks can be vertical, horizontal or vertical. A common cause of such damage is eating too cold or hot food. Enamel cracks cause serious discomfort. The patient begins to respond to acidic and sweet foods. Pain appears during the use of hot liquid dishes.
Discomfort is not the only unpleasant moment. Dyes from food easily penetrate the enamel through the crack. As a result, teeth lose their former attractiveness. In addition, pathogenic bacteria penetrate the tooth body through a small opening. Significantly increases the risk of caries. Therefore, if a tooth is split, the same day it is worth making an appointment with the dentist.
Tooth split in half
Such damage is possible with serious domestic injuries or those who are accustomed to crack nuts with their teeth and open bottles. In this case, there is a significant risk of complications. The problem is that access to the pulp opens during damage. If pathogenic bacteria enter the nerve of the tooth, it must be removed.
Things are more complicated if the crack goes deep into the gums. The specialist may decide to remove both parts of the root. If the tooth does not succeed, then a crown or bridge will be installed.
If one part of the tooth staggers
If the tooth breaks and staggers, the patient will be assigned an X-ray examination of the damaged area. The specialist should assess the extent of the lesion. If the injury did not lead to a transverse root fracture, the specialist will try to save the tooth. The movable part is removed, the pin is installed. The tooth is extended to normal sizes using composite materials.
If the pin cannot be installed, the doctor may decide to install a photopolymer seal. Next, the result is fixed with a crown.
If the milk tooth is cracked
Kids tend to taste everything, run and jump a lot. Increased activity often leads to injury. Why do children split teeth? In the children's body there is still not enough calcium, the enamel in young patients is much weaker. If a tooth is split in a child, you cannot postpone a visit to the dentist. The doctor first of all must make sure that the permanent rudiments of the teeth are not affected.
If the milk tooth has cracked, the baby should not be given too hot or cold drinks. It is also worth explaining to the child that it is temporarily impossible to chew solid foods on the side where the injury occurred. If the child is still too small, it is worth giving him grated food. If pain is present, Nurofen and Paracetamol syrups will help improve the baby's condition before visiting a doctor.
Is it possible to save a molar?
If a tooth breaks, what should I do? Will you be able to save him? The answer to this question can be given by a qualified doctor after a thorough examination. The specialist can use a special probe, coloring reagents, will palpate. The depth of the injury will help determine the x-ray.
If the tooth split into two parts, most likely it will have to be removed. A crown or dental implant will be installed in place of the molar. Bridges are also widely used. If the tooth has cracked, but does not stagger, it is possible that it will be possible to preserve it.
A tooth will be much more likely to save if the patient seeks help immediately after a crack appears. The doctor evaluates the condition of the tooth, prescribes appropriate therapy. There are several ways to strengthen tooth enamel, to restore the appearance of a smile.
Tooth fluoridation
The procedure is performed to strengthen tooth enamel. It is shown to those who have a predisposition to the development of caries. It is worth making an appointment with a specialist also for those who suffer from increased tooth sensitivity. Such a technique is suitable for patients who have cracks on the tooth enamel. Strengthening is carried out using special solutions with a high content of fluoride ions. Teeth coated with such a substance are protected from harmful environmental factors. In addition, fluoride ions do not allow pathogenic bacteria to accumulate on the teeth.
Fluoridation is a completely painless procedure. It is also prescribed for young children, whose teeth often break or darken. Fluoridation can be simple or deep. In the first case, use a special spoon resembling a dental cast. This tool is filled with a therapeutic substance and applied to the dentition for 15-20 minutes. After some time, the manipulation can be repeated.
Deep fluoridation is a more effective method. Fluoride and calcium penetrate the pores of the tooth. The molars become really strong. It is almost impossible to damage them by mechanical action.
The use of composite materials
If the tooth is split in half, most likely, one part of it will have to be removed. High-quality restoration will be possible using composite materials. An indication for the procedure is the partial destruction of the hard tissues of the tooth, the defeat of a large area of caries. Aesthetic indications may also be present to improve the condition of the teeth. The procedure will be carried out if there are dark areas on the enamel.
In the work, specialists use high-quality photopolymer fillings, which are selected according to the patient’s native color of enamel. As a result, the boundaries of the artificial material and the living tooth are almost invisible. The term of operation of such a seal is more than 10 years. Then it can be replaced.
Restoration of chewing teeth that do not open when smiling can be performed with darker composite material. Such seals have a higher rate of strength.
Installation of bridges
If the tooth is almost completely destroyed, it will not be possible to restore it with a seal. The use of bridges is a traditional solution. The procedure can be performed in any dental clinic. The plus is that this technique is not expensive, everyone can afford such a prosthesis.
If the root of the tooth has cracked, most likely, the doctor will decide on its removal. Within a month after surgery, the patient can already seek help for the installation of a bridge. The most demanded today are metal-ceramic bridges. Such designs do an excellent job with chewing functions, mimic the true color of tooth enamel.
For the manufacture of prostheses, zirconia is often used. This metal has a white color, does not darken with time.
The most budget option is plastic dentures. Such crowns can be used if a tooth with a filling has cracked. Such prostheses are installed over the tooth and perform at least an aesthetic function.
Dental implants
If the damaged molar had to be removed, and you want to replace it with a really high-quality prosthesis, you should pay attention to implants. The bottom line is that an artificial titanium root is implanted in the bone tissue in the place where the damaged tooth was previously located. Further, a high-quality crown is fixed on it. Outwardly, such a tooth is almost impossible to distinguish from the present. The crown is selected in color and shape for the remaining teeth of the patient.
In addition to aesthetic characteristics, such prostheses have other advantages. Firstly, a crown mounted on an implant can last more than 15 years without replacement. Even if you have to change it, the procedure will be completely painless. Secondly, such a tooth is strong enough, it is almost impossible to damage it.
The only drawback is that the whole process of installing implants takes several months. Immediately after tooth extraction, an artificial root cannot be implanted. Such manipulations can only be started when bone tissue is formed - after 1.5-2 months. After installing the implant, several more months should pass. The final stage is prosthetics. The cost of installing such turnkey prostheses starts from 25 thousand rubles. Before deciding on a procedure, it is worth carefully studying the reviews of the selected dental clinic.
Veneers
If tooth enamel darkens due to cracks, dental veneers will help improve the aesthetic appearance of a smile. These are special microprostheses made of composite material or cermets. Their main goal is the external transformation of the damaged tooth. They cost much cheaper than classical crowns. At the same time, with their help, visible defects can be eliminated.
Porcelain veneers have recently gained immense popularity. Externally, such prostheses are almost impossible to distinguish from ordinary teeth. In addition, they are relatively inexpensive. For the installation of such veneers, on average, you will have to pay about 15 thousand rubles.
Unfortunately, there may also be contraindications to installing veneers. First of all, it is bruxism. If the patient suffers from abnormal grinding of teeth, the installation of such prostheses may be unsafe. Contraindications include the absence of more than six chewing teeth, and infectious diseases of the oral cavity. It is not recommended to install veneers in case of malocclusion in a patient.
The whole procedure for fixing veneers is carried out in several stages. Initially, the doctor eliminates the existing pathology, treats caries. Then an impression is made, which makes it possible to make prostheses that are suitable in size. After 4-5 days, the finished veneers are fixed using special glue.
Summarize
Proper nutrition and rejection of bad habits will help maintain healthy teeth. If the tooth is still split, you can not postpone the visit to the doctor. The specialist will select the most suitable method for restoring the dentition.