When your tooth cracks, the discomfort may encourage you to see your dentist as soon as possible to fix it and alleviate your toothache. In many cases, a dental crown may be the best way to restore a cracked tooth. Yet, not all cases of cracked teeth are the same, and sometimes, your dentist can fix a cracked tooth while minimizing changes to your healthy tooth structure. Today, we examine different solutions for treating cracked teeth, and when each solution offers the best results.

Bonding the Tooth

A minor crack to your tooth’s surface needs to be addressed, but it may not need to be completely capped with a dental crown. Instead, your dentist may be able to restore it with tooth-colored composite resin. Known as tooth bonding, the procedure will involve customizing the resin to closely match your tooth’s color and appearance. Then, your dentist can apply the resin to the crack, sculpting it to match your tooth’s contour before hardening and polishing the material.

Capping the Tooth

For more severe tooth fractures, tooth bonding might not be sufficient to hold the tooth together. A dental crown can be required to hold the tooth structure together and prevent the crack from growing worse, all while sustaining the pressure of your bite to protect the tooth underneath it. A dental crown is fashioned to closely mimic the size, shape, and appearance of your healthy tooth, and is bonded over the tooth to completely cap and protect it. While a dental crown requires modifying the tooth to accommodate the restoration, it also offers the most comprehensive protection to help you preserve the tooth.

Customized Solutions to Fix Cracked Teeth

Fixing a cracked tooth involves restoring the tooth’s structure while protecting it from further damage or infection. To learn which is the best solution for your cracked tooth, schedule an examination with your dentist by calling Modern Dentistry of Shrewsbury in Shrewsbury, MA, today at 508-842-8838.