When you notice physical damage has occurred to your tooth, do you know what to make of the problem? Are you sure about what you can expect regarding treatment? In many cases, the underlying confusion has more to do with a patient not knowing if an issue is going to require cosmetic care or restorative dentistry. To help you along in distinguishing between damage that makes your smile look less lovely and damage that causes actual oral health harm, we offer some help. Consider common issues and what they mean for your grin.
A Chip
If you suffer a chip to your tooth, you can rest easy that this is not affecting your oral health. Instead, it’s going to make your tooth look damaged and may disrupt your otherwise nice looking smile. We can fix this issue with contouring or bonding.
A Craze Line
This is an issue that looks like a serious crack (and it is, essentially, a very small crack) but it is quite slim and harmless. While it isn’t hurting your oral health, it might be harming your appearance. If so, we can easily camouflage the problem with bonding or a veneer.
A Crack
If your tooth is cracked and it’s not just a craze line, this is a serious problem for your oral health. It will allow bacteria to enter, which will result in decay or infection (or both). We will inspect your tooth to decide whether a crown or other treatment is appropriate.
A Broken Tooth
If you break your tooth, you will know it because a piece of your tooth will break away. This will require restorative care to restore the tooth if there is sufficient tissue left or to remove the tooth if too much has been lost.
