In the realm of restorative dentistry, tooth filling is an innovation that helps restore the strength and function of the tooth. Tooth fillings have a longer lifespan that usually lasts a lifetime with proper care and oral hygiene. However, all this is not completely true and tooth fillings can crack your tooth due to the tear and timely fading. It also depends on the material used to fill your tooth cavities. In this blog, we’ll explore the factors that crack the tooth-filling and alternatives to restore the cracked tooth.
What is A Cracked Tooth?
A cracked tooth is a tooth that has breaks/fractures caused due to various factors. You may not see the crack lines on your tooth from the naked eye but it can cause major health issues if left untreated. If you have a tooth filling and experience extreme discomfort, then the reason behind is the failed tooth filling.
Types of Tooth Cracks Caused By Filling
- Craze Lines: The crack lines that appear on tooth tooth enamel. They don’t give you pain.
- Fractured Cusps: It occurs when the fracture is around dental fillings.
- Enamel Crack: It can be seen on the outer layer of the teeth with little crack lines.
- Split Tooth: When the cracked tooth is left untreated, the fracture progresses and splits your tooth into two. It can cause extreme pain and is treated only with tooth extraction.
- Vertical Root Fracture: It usually starts from the root and progresses towards the tooth surface.
Factors Behind Cracked Tooth Filling
- Biting Issues: Biting on a hard object can cause tooth fracture or crack. It happens because of the weakening of the tooth structure.
- Tooth Sensitivity: Exposure to extreme hold and cold eatables and drinks can cause tooth sensitivity. The continuous tooth sensitivity can cause crack lines on the surface of your tooth. In the worst-case scenario, it can also cause internal issues like bleeding or damaged filling.
- Inflammation: The continuous inflammation or swelling caused around your tooth can also be the reason behind the crack. Internal dental issues like the emergence of infection and its spreading around the teeth can cause extreme swelling, ultimately leading to a cracked tooth.
- Weakened Tooth Structure: If your fillings are not strongly held by the tooth due to the weakened tooth structure, it can cause damage.
- Aging: Aging can be another issue regarding tooth cracking. With age, the tooth structure weakens losing the ability to hold tooth filling and causing cracks or tooth fractures.
- Bruxism: Bruxism is a condition in which the person has a habit of teeth grinding, especially at night. The extreme tooth grinding can cause crack lines in your tooth leading to extreme discomfort and pain.
- Physical Injury: If you’re a sportsman then tooth injury can occur. Physical injuries sometimes can crack teeth which needs to be addressed to your dentist Dee Why immediately to prevent tooth filling failure.
Signs of Cracked Tooth
Following are the signs that will appear if your filling has cracked your tooth. You should visit the Dental Clinic Dee Why.
- Extreme and constant pain
- Discomfort
- Gum irritation
- Bite misalignment
- Inflammation
- Visible pain
Treatment Options For Cracked Tooth
- Bonding: For minor cracks, your dentist will use dental bonding to fix the dental crack that is causing discomfort and disrupting your daily routine.
- Tooth Crown: A dental crown helps cover the tooth and protect it from further damage.
- Root Canal: For severe tooth cracks, your dentist will advise you to go for a root canal. This option is applicable if the damage is reached to the tooth’s pulp and causing excruciating pain.
- Tooth Extraction: It is necessary when the tooth crack is beyond repair and it can cause damage to the neighbouring teeth.
Conclusion
In conclusion, tooth fillings can sometimes cause tooth cracks due to various reasons like biting issues, bruxism, tooth sensitivity, inflammation, physical injury, or aging. If you experience symptoms like bite misalignment, extreme pain, swelling, gum irritation or bleeding you should visit Dental Clinic Dee Why Care immediately. With proper treatment, your dentist can recover many cracked teeth to restore your lost smiles and pearly whites.
