3 Prosthodontics Treatments For A Cracked Cuspid Tooth
Cupsid teeth are the pointy shaped teeth located just to the rear of the incisors. Cuspids, also called canines, start to tear the food you're chewing for the swallowing process and then pass that food to the rear teeth for grinding. A cracked cuspid tooth can be painful, make chewing more difficult, and impair your self-esteem.
There are a few different treatments for a cracked cuspid tooth depending on the severity and location of the crack. Ask a family dentistry office, such as Pine Lake Dental Group, for more information and a custom consultation.
Minor Cuspid Crack: Resin Bond
Does the cuspid have a small crack that only affects the front of the tooth? Your dentist can treat the problem using a resin bond, which molds directly to the tooth, saving time and money.
Resin has a clay-like malleable consistency in its natural state. The dentist will mold that material onto the front of the cuspid to cover the crack while maintaining the ideal shape of the tooth. When the resin is fully formed into place, the dentist will harden the resin with a light to set the material.
Resin doesn't require dental cement, which spares your tooth the need for drill shaving that promotes cement adhesion. The lack of cement also means the resin bonds are removable if you should decide on a different prosthodontics option later on.
Major Frontal Cuspid Crack: Porcelain Veneer
Does your cracked cuspid have a significant crack but that crack is only on the front of the tooth? If the resin bond doesn't offer enough design customization to adequately cover the crack and maintain the shape of the tooth, the dentist instead will want to take molds of the damaged tooth, and then send those molds to the lab to create a custom-fit porcelain veneer.
The veneer will require dental cement and the associated shaving so you will lose some enamel and dentin from the natural tooth. The shaving means that a removed veneer will have to be replaced quickly with another veneer or a dental crown to cover the shaved, sensitive tooth material.
Penetrating Cuspid Crack: Dental Crown
Does the cuspid crack stretch throughout the tooth? The dentist might want to create molds of the tooth, send the molds to the lab, and create a dental crown, which is essentially a veneer that covers the entire tooth.
Dental crowns come in porcelain that looks natural or metal-backed porcelain that combine natural looks with added strength underneath. The extra strength can help prevent potential damage to the crown due to the bite force the cuspid takes on during the chewing process.
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