Let’s face it, cracked teeth aren’t much fun. In the best case scenario they’re unsightly, especially if they’re in your smile line and in the worst case, they can be extremely painful. In the latter instance, the first thing you should do is to visit an emergency dental clinic in Manchester where they can access the situation and get you out of pain. But what if, you have a slight noticeable blemish or crack, how should you approach your cracked teeth treatment? This is where porcelain veneers can help.
As far as cosmetic dental treatments go, porcelain veneers (otherwise known as ‘dental veneers’ or simply, ‘veneers’ are one of the most popular. They are in fact very thin, shell-like layers of dental porcelain which sit over the tooth to hide it. Treatment is quick and minimally invasive and at the end of it, you’re left with a whiter, brighter, unblemished smile. That’s all well and good, but how does the process work for cracked teeth?
First of all your teeth are inspected and cleaned to ensure no infection is present and of course, we’ll also discuss with you our options for repairing it. Don’t worry though, because cracked teeth treatment using veneers is a well-versed treatment that delivers great results.
Next a mould will be taken of your tooth, so that your permanent veneer can be made. In the meantime a temporary veneer will be fitted. During this period, your problematic cracked teeth will need to be prepared and that means shaving a fraction of a millimetre or so of enamel of the tooth surface. This is so that the veneer sits perfectly flush with the rest of your smile and blends in perfectly. At the end of the session, you’ll be given a temporary veneer to wear until your permanent veneer is ready. Do note that the temp won’t be as thin as your permanent veneer so it may feel a little awkward at first but the idea is to protect the tooth from day one. Besides, it gives you a chance to ‘try before you buy’ and at this point, any adjustments can be made so your permanent fittings, will be absolutely correct.
When you get the call, usually about two weeks later, you’ll return to our practice and we’ll carefully remove the temporary veneer and cover over the cracked teeth or tooth with the permanent version. Once stuck in place, we’ll shape and polish it to blend in perfectly with the rest of your smile.
The results – if we say so ourselves – are so lifelike that no-one need ever know that you’ve had cracked teeth treatment 🙂
If you have cracked teeth and want to do something about it, then contact our emergency dental clinic in Manchester and ask us about porcelain veneers. To find out more book a consultation by calling us on 0161 485 7376 today.
Dental mishaps do occur from time to time and biting into hard foods or crunching down on something accidentally can leave you suffering with chipped, broken or cracked teeth.
You may be able to visibly see that a piece of your tooth has broken away, while other times it’s not so obvious. When this happens, it’s important to visit us straight away for necessary cracked teeth treatment to restore the health of your smile.
If you’ve only slightly chipped a tooth and it doesn’t hurt, is this cause for a dental emergency?
In a word no!
If you’re not in pain, while it does need to be dealt with sooner rather than later, it can and should wait until the next available appointment with the dentist.
In the meantime however, do ensure that extra care is taken when chewing so you don’t chip the tooth any further. Then at your appointment, we’ll usually be able to smooth the chip over or add some filling material in order to repair the tooth.
While that’s pretty straight forward, what if you’ve badly cracked or fractured a tooth?
This is more serious, especially if you have pain and would normally be classed as a dental emergency. Call us right away so we can help prevent the tooth getting any worse or infected.
Although enamel (which covers the surface of our teeth) is the strongest tissue in our body, it has its limits and can still be broken or cracked. Cracked teeth can happen for a number of reasons including playing contact sports and not wearing a mouth guard, or being involved in an accident that caused an unexpected hit to your mouth.
It can also be caused by habits such as clenching and grinding your teeth or chewing and biting down on hard objects. Lastly, if decay is left untreated, this can weaken the teeth, leaving them more prone to breaking.
Did you know that our back teeth (called molars) are more vulnerable to cracks because they tend to absorb most of the force while we chew?
Dealing with cracked teeth can be difficult, due to a variety of symptoms. Typically, a cracked tooth will cause erratic pain upon chewing, with biting pressure or when exposed to extreme temperatures such as a hot drink or an ice cream. A lot of the time, patients find that the pain comes and go’s and this can make it a little more difficult to pinpoint the exact tooth causing the discomfort. A cracked tooth is often unnoticeable to the human eye and can at times not even appear visible on dental x-rays.
A cracked tooth can be painful because every time you bite, the pressure causes the crack to open a little and this irritates the pulp of the tooth. This is where the nerves and blood vessels are contained. When this happens, the tooth may then become sensitive to extreme temperatures, cause a sharp pain when biting and if left, possibly even become infected.
So what exactly does cracked teeth treatment involve?
Because there’s many different types of cracked teeth, the treatment and success for your tooth all really depend of the location, type and extent of the crack. Here’s a few common examples of cracked teeth problems and how we treat them:
Although it’s impossible to completely prevent a chipped, broken or cracked tooth, there are some steps you can take in order to protect your teeth from damage, such as:
Often dental emergencies can be easily avoided by having regular check-ups to help keep your mouth healthy and avoid problems such as cracked teeth. Treatment can range from just a simple filling to a tooth extraction, but whatever the case it’s important we see you straight away in order to have the best chance at saving your tooth.
So if you’re experiencing any pain or symptoms associated with cracked teeth call us straight away on 0161 485 7376 and we’d be happy to see you for an emergency appointment.