Treatments for broken teeth at Hello Dental
A tooth breaks when it has been weakened by tooth decay, acids, cracks caused by a metal filling or overloading due to clenching or grinding.
Most of the time when a tooth initially breaks it is not very sore. It may occasionally be sensitive to temperature but on the whole, the initial breakage can be accompanied by surprisingly little discomfort.
Because teeth are very resilient they do not cause much discomfort until the problem gets worse. The fact the tooth has broken is a good indication that there is something seriously wrong even if it is not painful.
It will not get better on its own and will always get worse, it’s just a matter of time. The use of temporary filling materials, rubbing sensitive toothpaste and keeping the hole or gap as clean as possible is the best thing to do. If it is sore it is advisable to call us for an urgent appointment to get it looked at sooner. We reserve emergency dentist slots every day and will always try to fit you in on the same day (provided we have the capacity).
What can be done for a broken tooth?
When we initially see you for an urgent appointment we will often just place a temporary filling to stabilise the tooth and slow down any decay or damage. Depending on the size and if we have the time available, we will discuss the options for building it up permanently and the costs involved. If you wish to proceed we would then carry out the treatment on the day.
The permanent options for a broken tooth depend on the actual damage done but includes:
- Composite bonded white filling: Using our technologically advanced filling materials that mimic the properties of the teeth together with a super seal filling technique we reconstruct the tooth. We use the Waterlase laser assisted preparation and disinfection wherever possible we clean the tooth removing all bacterial damage and disinfect the tooth before using a very strong adhesive to stick the filling on.
- Computer-designed and manufactured metal-free crowns: When the damage is severe, we use core material to stabilise the tooth. This is followed by a crown or cap using the latest generation of metal-free technology, which means not only does less of the tooth have to be taken away, but we maintain and strengthen the remaining tooth.
Treatments for worn teeth at Hello Dental
Teeth wear down with time but when they wear too fast it can cause a serious issue.
This is caused by problems such as tooth clenching and grinding (bruxism), certain habits or a mismatched bite resulting in some teeth working harder. Certain conditions such as long-term acid reflux (heartburn) or anorexia and bulimia are often associated with severe wear due to the stomach acids being much stronger and dissolving teeth faster.
Some of the signs of teeth wear include:
- Shortened teeth with all the edges level or flat.
- Rough serrated edges where the enamel has chipped.
- Stained teeth, especially the top of lower teeth which will appear browner due to the underlying dentine showing.
- Flat canines or “eye teeth” rather than being pointed.
- Sensitivity where the underlying dentine is showing.
What can be done about worn teeth?
The most important thing to do is to identify the underlying cause and whenever possible treat this.
Treatment is dictated by the amount of wear. It can range from no treatment to full mouth reconstruction using crowns in severe cases.
At hello dental our expertise in adhesive dentistry means we can rebuild worn teeth with minimal further damage. Our approach is to always minimise the intervention to already vulnerable and damaged teeth. If needed, we are also fortunate to have Waterlase which allows us to carry out certain procedures to lengthen the tooth without drastic surgery and as a result with much less discomfort.
Our treatments for worn teeth include:
- Composite bonded white filling: Using our technologically advanced filling materials that mimic the properties of the teeth together with a super seal filling technique we reconstruct the tooth. In worn teeth, this is often done without needles using the Waterlase laser.
- Computer-designed and manufactured metal-free crowns: When the damage is severe, we can use the latest adhesive retained crowns for building up the tooth and reconstructing the bite.
- Laser root lengthening: We can use Waterlase to carry out laser root lengthening to increase the length of the visible tooth. This can be done for cosmetic or functional reasons.
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