Cracked and Broken Tooth Repair in St. Louis, MO

West County Dental Is Your Leader for Cracked and Broken Tooth Repair

For over ten years, West County Dental in St. Louis, MO, has been providing complete dental services, including cracked and broken tooth repair services for families across West County and the surrounding communities. Whether your chipped or cracked tooth is simply a cosmetic defect that you want to improve or a dental emergency, our team can help. We offer complete repairs services to ensure that your smile looks fantastic and your tooth is strong enough to avoid further damage. Contact our team today to get started with your cracked or chipped tooth repair visit.

How Did I Crack or Chip My Tooth?

Enamel is one of the hardest substances in the human body. However, that doesn’t mean that it can’t be broken or chipped. If your tooth has been chipped or cracked, it makes it easier for it to succumb to tooth decay. There are a variety of ways in which a patient may chip or crack their teeth. Understanding these common causes will help you more easily avoid them. Chipped or cracked teeth may occur due to:

• Eating – Our teeth’ primary function is to break down food to eat. However, certain hard foods, such as ice, nuts, hard candies, and even popcorn, can chip or crack your tooth.
• Playing Sports – High-impact sports are among the most common ways you can crack or chip a tooth. Repeated blows to the body or head can cause your upper and lower jaw to collide. When playing any sport, it’s important to wear a mouth guard at all times.
• Injury – A sudden blow to the teeth due to a car accident, fistfight, or slip-and-fall can all lead to chipped or cracked teeth. It’s important to act with caution to avoid injury.
• Teeth Grinding/Clenching – Some patients clench and grind their teeth while they sleep. The constant pressure can lead to cracks forming or even part of your tooth breaking. If you know you clench or grind your teeth at night, you must wear a night guard to prevent damage to your teeth.
• Fillings – When a filling is placed in your tooth, it can actually compromise its structural integrity making it more susceptible to breaks.

Are There Different Types of Cracks?

There are various types of tooth cracks that range in severity. In some cases, it may be nothing more than a cosmetic surface crack. However, other types of tooth cracks may require immediate dental care to alleviate pain and prevent decay and infection. Whatever the severity of damage to your teeth, you can always count on the experts at West Count Dental to assist you. Our knowledgeable and experienced dental professionals have the right tools and services to repair any type of tooth crack, including:

• Craze Lines – Craze lines are hairline cracks in the enamel of your teeth. They don’t cause any pain, nor will they lead to tooth decay. However, patients may feel self-conscious about them and schedule a cosmetic procedure to correct them.
• Fractured Cusps – Fractured cusps are somewhat common in teeth that have tooth fillings. It occurs when a portion of the tooth’s chewing surface breaks off. However, the tooth root, blood vessels, and gum line are unchanged. In most cases, you won’t feel any pain. However, you may experience some tooth sensitivity.
• Cracked Teeth – A cracked tooth may sometimes lead to a root canal, depending on the severity of the crack and how far it extended to the root of the tooth. Oftentimes, you’ll experience sensitivity and pain.
• Split Teeth – A split tooth means that the crack has traveled through the entire tooth and has damaged the tooth’s pulp. In most instances of a split tooth, the tooth isn’t salvageable and must be extracted. Our professionals can then place a dental implant in place of the missing tooth.

What Services Do You Provide for Cracked or Chipped Tooth?

At West County Dental, our team is able to provide a variety of reliable dental services to help repair your cracked or chipped tooth. Every instance of tooth damage is different, and our dental professionals will provide you with the best solutions for your injury. We utilize innovative dental technology to get a clear picture of the extent of the injury to allow us to make a quality diagnose. For those patients with dental anxiety, we also offer sedation dentistry to alleviate stress and reduce the pain. Our dental services include:

• Dental Implants – In instances where your tooth cannot be salvaged, we may suggest a dental implant. Dental implants are a reliable and aesthetically pleasing way to mimic your original smile.
• Root Canals – In instances where a crack has penetrated through the tooth to the root, root canal therapy may be recommended to alleviate pain and help prevent inflammation and infection. A crown will be place after the root canal is completed to protect and restore the tooth.
• Crowns – In cases where the tooth’s chewing surface has been damaged, but the root remains in good condition, we will recommend a crown. Our doctor will shape the chewing surface of your tooth, create a custom crown, and place it over the tooth root to protect it from further damage.
• Polishing – Polishing, or cosmetic contorting, is used for minor chips in the teeth that can be shaped.

What Should I Do If My Tooth Is Chipped or Cracked?

If you have a chipped or cracked tooth, it can make your teeth more susceptible to plaque and tooth decay. Not only that, you may also feel pain and sensitivity around the broken tooth.  If you feel pain or experience bleeding, you should contact our office for emergency dental care.

Choosing the Right Dental Center for Chipped and Cracked Teeth

At West County Dental, we have over ten years of experience providing complete dental services for families throughout the area. Our team of dental professionals utilizes the latest dental technology to provide you with exceptional care in our relaxing dentist’s office. We understand that dental chips and cracks can happen from eating, injury, and sport and offer a variety of dental solutions to help restore and repair your smile. Whether you need emergency dental services or a routine checkup, our team can help. Contact us today to reserve a visit.