Chipped, cracked or decayed tooth 'question' learn how we can repair it

Chipped, Cracked or Decayed Tooth? Learn How You Can Repair It Do you have a chipped or cracked tooth, or perhaps you are aware one of your teeth needs filling? If this is the case then dentists urge you to visit your dentist as soon as you can to have it properly repaired. Dentists know that some people are tempted to ignore slightly damaged teeth.

This is perhaps because they aren’t bothered about having a chipped or cracked tooth or maybe they simply can’t find the time to visit the dentist. However failing to get a tooth repaired increases your chances of needing a more costly and extensive restoration in the future. In the worst possible case, you can actually lose the tooth.

Ignoring a Damaged Tooth Increases Your Chances of Decay and Infection If your tooth is damaged, then it means bacteria will be able to get through the outer layer of protective tooth enamel. Once they are inside your tooth then they’ll begin to attack the much softer layer of dentin that protects the pulp. If you are lucky and get the tooth repaired in time then it can be restored with a filling.

Otherwise, you might require root canal treatment to remove the infected pulp or you risk developing a dental abscess. This is a painful condition that can destroy the surrounding bone and could ultimately lead to tooth loss.

Modern Dental Restorations Are Strong, Effective and Nearly Invisible The good news is that today’s dental restorations are very strong and you needn’t see them in the mouth. Your dentist can repair small chips and cracks with tooth-colored composite resin. Your dentist is a highly experienced dentist and will often use several shades to get an exact match with your natural teeth.

These modern materials bond very strongly to your natural tooth structure, not only restoring appearance but also its strength. The same composite resins can also be used to repair larger cavities in back teeth. This wasn’t always the case as in the past it was more common to use silver-colored amalgam fillings to fill large areas of decay.

Thankfully this is no longer necessary and composite resin fillings are healthier for your teeth.

This is because your dentist will remove less tooth structure to prepare the tooth for the restoration. Alternatively, your dentist can use porcelain fillings or inlays and onlays to repair back teeth. There is a variety of restoration options for your teeth.

Porcelain fillings are extremely hard wearing and are individually crafted to blend in with your teeth. One advantage of choosing a porcelain restoration is that it will last longer than composite resin. Porcelain is resistant to staining so your new fitting will not change color over time.

The Latest Crowns Are Metal Free

Sometimes your dentist cannot repair teeth with fillings. It is necessary to crown or cover them up completely to protect the rest of the remaining tooth structure. You do have a few choices of different types of crowns as you can choose an all gold or metal colored crown.

Some people prefer for back teeth, while front teeth can be covered up with porcelain crowns.

These tooth colored crowns can be made with a metal substructure or are entirely metal free. If you want the very best results then it's worth opting for an all-ceramic crown.

Sometimes it might be possible for your dentist to make this crown while you wait. Other times they may recommend you have it handcrafted in their dental laboratory.