There are a lot of reasons why a tooth could crack, and in some cases, it might not hurt immediately enough for you to notice. However, even if you don’t realize it, the damage to your tooth can become an increasingly bigger threat to your oral health the longer it’s left untreated. Fortunately, you don’t have to suffer a cracked tooth for long. With timely restorative treatment, your dentist can fix your tooth, alleviate the discomfort of its fracture, and restore its health and structural integrity.
What to do about the pain
If your cracked tooth does hurt, then the discomfort could range from mild to severe, depending on the location and extent of the damage. To help alleviate the pain, rinse your mouth thoroughly with warm water and try placing an ice pack or cold compress on the appropriate side of your mouth. You can also try taking an over-the-counter pain reliever, such as Tylenol or Advil, to help limit discomfort until you can make it to our office for an emergency dental treatment.
What to do about the damage
While you can mitigate most of the discomfort of a cracked tooth, you’ll need your dentist’s help to fix the damage. Because a tooth can crack for many different reasons and can occur in almost countless different ways, fixing yours will first require a comprehensive examination to thoroughly diagnose the fracture. Depending on your unique needs, we can restore your tooth with cosmetic tooth bonding, a wafer-thin porcelain veneer, a highly lifelike dental crown, or other more appropriate restoration. In some cases, you may require root canal treatment before having the tooth fully restored.
What to do if it’s severe
The right restorative treatment can fix most types of cracked teeth. However, in some severe cases, a tooth might be so extensively fractured that it can’t be restored successfully. If this occurs, then we might recommend extracting the cracked tooth so that we can replace it with a custom-designed, durable, and lifelike restoration. For example, after the tooth is removed, a dental implant and crown can replace its root as well as its crown, helping to fully restore your smile’s appearance and your bite’s function.
Learn how to deal with your cracked tooth
If you crack a tooth, then seek treatment as soon as possible before the damage becomes even more severe. For more information, schedule a visit by calling Syosset Dental in Syosset, NY today at 516-433-2211 or 516-921-1678.
