1) Why it is caused?
Fractured Teeth, as the name suggests a broken portion of teeth also called cracked tooth syndrome
- Trauma (accidents, spots, physical, violence, falls, etc )
- Sudden biting of hard substance
- Attrition (wear of tooth surfaces)
- Teeth grinding (bruxism)
- Large dental fillings or a root canal, scaling
2) How to prevent it?
- Regular dental checkups
- Brushing twice daily & flossing
- Avoid chewing hard foods
- Wearing mouth guard in sports & use while sleeping if griding is observed
- Post-operative care after fillings &root canal treated teeth
3) When to for treatment?
- Pain on chewing
- Sensitivity to temperature changes
- Swelling around tooth
- Sometimes, mobile fracture portion of teeth
- Visible cracks lines
4) What is the treatment? what is done in treatment?
- Bonding: restoring the fractured/broken teeth surface with composite restorative material
- Cosmetic contouring: polishing & rounding off the sharp edge of broken teeth
- Crown: when a major portion of the teeth’s surface is fractured then a crown is given
- Root canal: fractured involving pulp & root portion of the tooth, root canal treatment is done in which affected pulp is removed & filled with gutta-percha followed either by post endo restoration or crown
- Veneer: when only the edges of tooth surfaces are broken thin porcelain covering goes over the front of the tooth
- Night guard/mouth guard: in sports for grinding of teeth, a device is given that covers all surfaces of teeth
Post-operative care:
- Avoiding biting hard food
- Periodic dental visit
- Brushing twice daily & flossing once daily
- Using might guards/mouth guards when required