Dental injuries are quite common when children are young and it is all too easy for them to chip or crack a tooth. If your child has chipped teeth then you should always seek professional advice as it is likely we will want to mend the tooth so it is fully restored and cannot become infected.
Why Is It Important to Mend Chipped Teeth and Cracked Teeth?
If a tooth becomes chipped or cracked for any reason then this means the tough outer layer of tooth enamel has been breached. Tooth enamel is very strong and is designed to protect the tooth from infection and tooth decay. When it becomes damaged then bacteria in the mouth can easily access the softer layer of tooth material that lies directly underneath the tooth enamel. This layer is called dentin and is much more easily eroded and decayed tooth.
What Happens When Bacteria Get Into Chipped Teeth?
Within a short while it’s possible for bacteria to eat away at a tooth until they reach the very central part of the tooth which is called the pulp. By this stage a child is likely to be experiencing kids toothache as the pulp contains all the nerves to the tooth and its infection is very painful. Although it is possible to save a badly infected tooth, there is always the risk that it will be too severely damaged to repair and will have to be extracted. Even if the tooth is just cracked then there is a possibility this crack will open up whenever your child bites down on the tooth, enabling bacteria to enter.
Get Professional Dental Care for any Broken Tooth
It is important to seek professional dental care for any sort of damage to a tooth, even when baby teeth are chipped as these teeth can become infected and decaying tooth very easily, causing a young child pain. This also applies to a broken front tooth or a broken wisdom tooth.
Mending Cracked Teeth and Broken Teeth
There are several ways to mend damaged teeth, depending on the position of the tooth and the extent of the damage. A broken front tooth can be either bonded with tooth colored composite fillings resin, which will restore the appearance and function of the tooth, or if the damage is more severe then this tooth can be crowned. The same applies to other broken teeth. A cracked tooth repair is also likely to involve carefully bonding the tooth as this will mend the crack, ensuring bacteria cannot enter the tooth.
We will explain exactly what to do with a cracked tooth or a broken tooth when you visit our dental office for advice and treatment. Our dentist can discuss all the possible pros and cons of each treatment so you can decide on the very best way to restore your child’s smile.
(see Cracked Teeth Treatment)