The teeth are an integral part of the body because it’s one of the first things people notice about your physical appearance. Aside from that, it’s also responsible for breaking down the food you eat. For this reason, you need to take care of your teeth because you may suffer oral diseases such as fractured teeth.
Fractured teeth can be very painful, so you should pay more attention to them. It doesn’t always mean you’ll have to go to your dentist because you can also deal with it at home—it’s just a matter of how you’ll do it.
In this article, we’ll tell you all you need to know about fractured teeth. Read on below to get started.
More about Fractured Teeth
Fractured teeth, also known as cracked teeth, can refer to any damage that causes the tooth’s surface to break and separate from the tooth’s root. This happens due to factors including:
Severe Biting Force
Biting force refers to the force that comes from your two jaws coming together to chew your food. The pressure you exert on your teeth is supposed to be the same amount your teeth exert on the food you’re chewing. However, this is not always the case.
Your teeth will not handle the force and crack if you bite too hard. This includes biting on hard objects. Should you bite hard on an object and your teeth break, don’t think it’s normal—it’s dangerous. When you bite hard on an object, you’re placing pressure on the tooth’s cusps, which can cause the cusps to crack the enamel.
Traumatic Events
Traumatic events can be any mishap that affects your teeth. No matter how minor the incident is, if your tooth is hit, force’s pressure on the tooth can make the enamel crack. This can happen when you get into a car accident, fall on the ground, hit a stick, or even by a ball.
Improper Chewing
Chewing is one of the main functions of your teeth. When you chew, the force your teeth exert on the food should be the same as the force the food exerts on the teeth.
However, many people chew improperly. When you chew too hard, it’s the same as biting and can cause the teeth to crack. This can happen when you eat too fast or when you’re too greedy.
Teeth Grinding
You may have heard about teeth grinding before. It is a common problem usually caused by stress or anxiety. However, it can also be caused by too much caffeine or alcohol intake.
When you grind your teeth, you’ll exert much more pressure on your teeth. Even if you don’t bite hard on your teeth when you grind, it can still make the cusps of your teeth crack.
Poor Oral Hygiene
Poor oral hygiene can lead to several oral diseases, such as periodontitis. In this case, you’ll no longer need to bite hard on your teeth to make them crack. If you don’t have healthy teeth, you’ll have to handle the acidity and the bacteria in your mouth.
If you don’t brush your teeth regularly, the acidity and the bacteria will stay in your mouth and deteriorate your teeth. As a result, your teeth become brittle and prone to fracture.
Lifestyle Choices
Your lifestyle can also make your teeth brittle and prone to fracture. These lifestyle choices include smoking, drinking too much coffee, and eating too many acidic foods.
Smoking and drinking too much coffee can harm the mouth tissues, causing inflammation and tooth decay. Meanwhile, eating too many acidic foods can cause the enamel to erode and expose the dentin in the tooth, leading to fracture.
Where Do Tooth Fractures Occur?
An excellent way to identify fractured teeth is by examining them. If you can’t find any chips or cracks on your tooth, you can flex your teeth and see if they’re wiggling. When the teeth wiggle, it’s an indication that they’re fractured. However, they’re not the only places where your teeth can fracture. They can also occur at the root of your tooth. This is because roots aren’t as thick as the other parts of your teeth, so they can fracture easily.
Treating Fractured Teeth
Fractured teeth can become more complicated, so you need to treat them immediately. You’ll have to see your dentist right away because the treatment involves drilling or filling the teeth in most cases. If your teeth are too important for you to be tempted to get a root canal, then your dentist can use a filling material to fix your teeth. Some of the best filling materials include porcelain, composite resin, and gold.
You can also use some simple home remedies to alleviate the pain and help your teeth heal faster. You can use petroleum jelly to relieve the pain and kill the bacteria. You can also use ice to reduce inflammation and pain. Lastly, you can use a tea bag with some mint leaves to get rid of the bacteria in your mouth.
Conclusion
If you have fractured teeth, you have to look for ways to fix them before it becomes a severe problem. Instead of ignoring it, you need to find a way to deal with it as soon as possible, be it seeing your dentist or via home remedies. This way, you can take care of your teeth and prevent more fractures from happening in the future.
If you’re looking for dentists in Chattanooga, look no further than Shallowford Family Dental! Our team of experienced dentists can do anything, even restoring your teeth so you can flash a beautiful smile again. Contact us today for a consultation!