When you crack a tooth, it usually hurts enough to make visiting your dentist an obvious priority. However, not all cracked teeth are immediately painful, and if you neglect to fix one, it can quickly become even more severely damaged. The good news is that, if you maintain a regular schedule of checkups and cleanings, your dentist can spot a cracked tooth even if you don’t feel it. Once it’s been diagnosed, your dentist can help you choose among several options for preventing the cracks from getting worse or to fix your cracked tooth.
Tooth Bonding
As one of the more conservative treatment options, cosmetic tooth bonding involves using a safe and durable acrylic resin to conceal and correct a number of different dental concerns. For minor cracks in a tooth’s structure, your dentist can use tooth bonding to conceal the crack without altering your healthy tooth structure.
Porcelain Veneer
Bonding is usually preferable for fixing a cracked tooth because it only affects your tooth’s outer surface. When the damage is more significant, your tooth may require a more involved solution. A porcelain veneer, for instance, can fix your tooth successfully by completely covering the front surface of your tooth.
Porcelain Dental Crown
A porcelain dental crown is a complete replica of your tooth’s crown (top portion), and can be placed completely over your cracked tooth to protect and restore it. In severe cases of tooth damage, a crown can be the best option for fixing your tooth and avoiding the need to have it extracted.
Learn More About How to Fix Your Cracked Tooth
A cracked tooth may or not may be immediately painful, but once you notice it, you should visit your dentist as soon as possible to learn how to fix it. To learn more, call Lake Forest Dental Arts in Lake Forest, IL, today at 847-234-0517. We also proudly serve residents of Chicago and all surrounding communities.