As we know, molars play a key role in grinding foods, but they can only withstand limited occlusal force. Any force beyond their bearable range may do harm to them. For those who are big fans of hard-shell food like nuts, chances are that they will encounter cracks on teeth in the long run. How to deal with cracked tooth? Which one is the treatment of choice, porcelain crown or dental implant?

    According to dentists from AKJ Dental Hospital, perhaps we cannot detect small cracks on teeth, but they can be detected by a thorough check-up. Generally speaking, dentists are able to make a judgement over the severity of the cracks in light of their width and depth. Different restorations will be required accordingly depending on the degree of severity.

    It’s not that worrisome if the cracks are tiny and shallow, in order words, they only remain on the outer enamel layer or the middle dentin. In such cases, removing a round of enamel and then seeking a crown serve well to fix the problem and protect the tooth. With the restoration, you can save your tooth roots as well as most tooth tissues. Moreover, it can restore both the contour and color of the tooth, and thus yield an aesthetic result.

    If the cracks are deep enough to reach dental nerves, they will be strong paroxysmal pain. At that moment it is a root canal therapy that will be required. After the RCT has been carried out properly, a crown or post and core crown restoration should be sought accordingly depending on the length of your residual tooth roots.

    In worst cases where the cracks have gone very deep beneath the gums, the tooth roots are no longer salvageable. You will need first an extraction and subsequently a dental prosthesis. There are two options to fix a missing tooth. One is to seek a porcelain bridge of three-teeth length. Though it can produce a nice result, it requires to abrade the two adjacent teeth upfront in order to hold the bridge in place. And the process of enamel removal is irreversible, which may take a toll on dental health in the long run. Relevant article: Is crown the only way to handle tooth crack?

    The other one is to seek an implant tooth. A dental implant will be placed as a freestanding artificial root, followed by the installment of an abutment and the wearing of a crown. Then there comes a complete tooth. In general, dental implant is more recommended than porcelain bridge since it requires no enamel abrasion.

    Consult with your dentist and choose the right approach that conforms to your personal circumstance. Please feel free to contact me if there’s any dental problem. (WeChat ID: aiyuan325180)