A broken crown will definitely put a damper on anybody’s day. These devices are used by dentists to replace cracked or damaged teeth or implants. They act as an enclosure of sorts, completely enveloping the outer layer of the tooth, so as to protect it from further harm.
Whether a patient is suffering from chipped teeth or a severe case of decay, the insertion of a crown can quickly remedy and restore the affected tooth to its normal condition. Given the purpose they serve, few people ever think they will have to call their dentist to fix a damaged crown.
When your Crown Cracks, Call the Dentist
Despite being comprised of highly durable materials, these synthetic replacements are not immune to wear and tear, or for that matter, blunt force trauma. It is worth emphasizing the fact that your natural teeth are far stronger than any man-made dental material will ever be.
Thus, since they too can be easily damaged, it should come as no surprise that dentists fix and replace broken crowns on a quite frequent basis. The causes of this can range from biting down on a hard object to certain medical conditions such as teeth clenching and/or grinding. The human jaw has a very powerful bite force, so it doesn’t take much for crowns to crack, especially when the latter is subjected to a high amount of pressure.
Needless to say, a broken crown qualifies as a dental emergency, so the first thing you should do after noticing something is wrong is immediately call your dentist. Aside from potentially being painful, the risk of developing a bacterial infection goes up the longer you wait to have the crown repaired.
If you had a root canal performed prior to having the crown inserted, you also run the risk of having your real tooth cracked, and this may warrant an emergency dental extraction. The severity of the situation cannot be stressed enough, and avoiding the issue can be very harmful to your overall health.
Once your dentist assesses the condition of the crown, he or she will proceed to either fix it or install a new replacement. In the case of the latter, a temporary piece will be used until the permanent one is ready to be inserted.
Cracked crowns are something that most dentists have dealt with first-hand, and something which all dentists are qualified to fix. Contact your local dental office and have your cracked crown fixed as soon as possible!