Tooth fracture – Causes, clinical features and treatment

Tooth fracture is the brake in the continuity of a bone with or without any displacements of the fragments. It may be pathological the result of a mild injury of an already diseased bone or a healthy one. Tooth fracture can be caused due to excess use of calcium oxide or if a filling is improperly sealed. Tooth fracture can be as a result of many causes including; sport injuries, automobile accidents, bicycle falls, physical fighting and chewing of very hard items like ice. A clear indication of a fracture in the tooth is the early signs of damage on the pulp.

Worth noting, is the fact that a severe blow can even cause the death of the pulp. Making pulp damage consideration one of the first precautions to look into immediately one has a tooth fracture. There are several types of tooth fractures requiring different types of treatment. Minor cracks or craze lines are superficial fractures that only affect the enamel-the outer white part of the tooth. Since it really needs minor treatment, the dentist can lightly polish the area to smoothen rough edges. Minor chips on the other hand, do not need major treatment apart from repairing the damage with a filling material. In addition a cusps fracture affects the pointed chewing surfaces of the teeth hence interfering with the chewing process. Treating cusps fracture includes filling of the tooth to restore the shape of the tooth or it may frequently need an onlay or crown in which the tooth is covered with a metal or porcelain material.

The serious fracture is the type that is deep enough to expose the nerve tissue. It always causes the tooth to hurt and becomes sensitive. This type of fracture requires a root canal treatment to enable the removal of the exposed nerve. Decay-induced fracture is one caused by a cavity weakening of the tooth. Whereas the split tooth is one that involves the splitting vertically into two parts of the tooth. There are also processes of cosmetic contouring, bonding, veneering and crowning which also further explains the choice of treating a fractured tooth. By simply applying moldable resin to the remaining structure, re-creating a new counter is now easy making the process of bonding to revolutionize the way of repairing broken teeth.

Cosmetic contouring is limited to very small fractures or areas not visible when smiling or talking thanks to its ability to change the size of the tooth. With the benefits of long lasting, aesthetic value and its requirement of minimal tooth reduction veneering remains the best bet for a fractured tooth with a fair amount of structure remaining. Crowning is the last resort for a tooth that does not have sufficient structure remaining for a veneer to bond to. Other forms of treating of tooth fracture that may be advised in this column will include the use of lesser amount of calcium related substances and the ability to avoid chewing of hard stuff that could interfere with the enamel.