Broken Teeth Repaired

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Can Broken Teeth Be Repaired or Replaced?
The enamel covering your teeth is the hardest material, but like most mineralized tissue in your body, the strength of the enamel has limits too. This is why biting something hard or trauma to the face can cause a tooth to crack, chip or break. There is a higher likelihood of this happening if the tooth is decaying.
If you have chipped or broken a tooth, do not panic and seek help from a dentist immediately. A plethora of options are available to fix a broken tooth, depending on the severity of the damage. Seeing a dentist as soon as possible can also prevent further damage or infection, which may eventually lead to tooth loss.
In the meantime, follow these self-care measures:
• Take over-the-counter …show more content…

Treatment
In case of a mild damage such as a small piece of enamel being broken off, you will only need one office visit to rectify the problem. A severer damage may require a lengthier procedure with multiple office visits. The following are a few ways a dentist may repair a chipped or broken tooth:
• Dental bonding
Dental bonding is a method of repairing cracked, chipped, discoloured, decayed, gapped and misshapen teeth. If only a small piece of enamel is chipped off, the dentist will likely use a filling to repair the damage.
However, dental bonding may be required if you have damaged one of your front teeth or a tooth that can be seen when you talk or smile. In this case, the dentist will use a composite resin that matches tooth colour. Numbing is not required during the procedure unless cavities are involved.
The dentist will first roughen the tooth and put a conditioning liquid on it. Putty will be applied and smoothened over the tooth. Next, an ultraviolet light will be used to harden the bonding. Once dried, the composite will be shaped and polished to match your tooth.
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They are covers often made with plastic and porcelain, which can be placed on one tooth or more. Veneers are not recommended for those who grind their teeth frequently, however.
The dentist will first prepare your teeth for the veneers by gently removing some of the tooth structure, preventing it from looking bulky. Impressions will be taken to create the veneer in the lab. The dentist may apply temporary veneers in the meantime.
• Onlays
When a tooth is too damaged for a tooth filling but the damage is not severe enough for a dental crown, an option called a dental onlay is available, which falls somewhere in the middle. They restore large cavities that cover the entire biting surface of a tooth. Onlays can be made from metal, composite resin or porcelain, depending on your budget and aesthetic requirements.
• Crowns
When the damage is too severe for a filing, veneer or onlay or if you experience pain while drinking and chewing, a crown may be required. A crown covers the tooth like a cap and protects it, while ensuring that it resembles your natural tooth. A damaged tooth will not be able to endure the pressure of biting and chewing without a crown, hence being prone to falling

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