How to Make the Most of Your Dental Bridge
Making the most of your dental bridge is easy with a little prevention and care. Here are a few tips and tricks to help preserve your dental bridge and improve your oral health. Keep reading!
Can a Cracked Tooth Be Saved?
Accidents happen. From sports injuries to accidentally biting into a hard piece of food or candy, cracks, and fractures are common dental injuries that affect your smile and oral health.
At 2k Dental, our dentists offer a range of cosmetic and emergency dental services from five convenient locations, including Cleveland, Cuyahoga Falls, Parma, and two offices in Akron, Ohio.
Can a cracked tooth be saved?
In many cases, a cracked tooth can be saved from extraction or further damage.
Small and minor chips and cracks to the front teeth can usually be treated with cosmetic bonding or porcelain veneers.
For moderate to severe cracks, a dental crown may be necessary to strengthen and fortify the tooth. Dental trauma sometimes exposes the pulp inside the tooth to bacteria, which can cause inflammation and damage the tissue. When that happens, you may need a root canal to repair the tooth.
When a cracked tooth can’t be saved
Our dentists make every effort to save your tooth. However, when the damage can’t be repaired with a bonding, filling, or crown, the tooth is extracted to prevent pain, infection, and damage to the surrounding teeth and gum tissue.
When the crack extends below the gum line or splits the tooth in two, it may be beyond repair and need to be extracted.
In that case, you can replace the tooth with crowns, dentures, and dental implants.
Getting treatment quickly is your best chance to save your tooth.
Signs and symptoms of a cracked and damaged tooth
Sometimes, cracks and fractures in teeth develop over time due to wear-and-tear or the progression of a previous injury, so you may not notice symptoms right away.
Some symptoms to look out for include:
- Pain while chewing and biting down
- Pain and sensitivity to hold and cold or when air hits your tooth
- Swelling and inflammation
- Persistent tooth pain
- Signs of infection
- Bad breath
If you have recurring or develop new symptoms, schedule an appointment as soon as possible.
If you experience trauma or impact to a tooth from a fall, accident, or sports injury, schedule an appointment for a dental exam. Even if you don’t have visible damage or experience symptoms, you might need treatment to prevent bacteria from reaching the pulp.
Minor cracks and fractures can also worsen over time and require treatment to protect your tooth from more extensive damage.
How to protect your teeth from damage
In addition to good oral hygiene and a healthy diet, regular dental exams and cleanings are your best line of defense against wear-and-tear, cavities, and gum disease.
If you play contact sports, consider wearing a mouth guard to protect your teeth.
Never use your teeth to open bottles or packages, and avoid eating hard candy and foods that could damage your tooth enamel.
For more information about the treatment options available to fix a cracked or damaged tooth, contact us today to schedule an appointment at one of five convenient locations.
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