5 dangers of ignoring chipped teeth treatment
Although chipped and cracked teeth do not seem a serious dental injury, it should be treated in a timely manner. Besides degrading your smile aesthetics, the broken part of the tooth makes you susceptible to oral infections. Such consequences can lead to additional health problems as it can spread to the head, neck and so on. Luckily, you have more than an option for chipped teeth.
Cracked teeth are prevalent even though enamel is the sturdiest part of our body. However, it happens when a tooth is forced to withstand unbearable pressure with hard hitting or falling down.
Excluding such unexpected injuries, factors like cavities, age, enamel erosion, bruxism also tend to fracture your teeth.
What are the potential problems a chipped tooth can cause?
1) Infections inside the tooth
When a tooth encounters a severe break, it exposes the tooth’s pulp chamber as well as the dentin. As the pulp chamber holds a tooth’s nerves and blood vessels, its frequent manifestation provides a way for bacteria to enter inside the tooth. It incites problems like dental abscess, bad breath, etc.
If it is left untreated, it eventually ends in killing the tissues which mandate extracting the tooth to prevent further infections.
2) Abrasions
The broken part leaves the fractured tooth with sharp edges. It will scratch or cut the soft tissues say tongue, lips, cheek and gums. The abrasions and wounds in soft tissues of your oral cavity will cause soreness and induce sharp pain when it is exposed to food particles which makes eating and drinking difficult.
3) Temperature Sensitivity
Chips or Cracks in a tooth weaken the enamel and reveal dentin the soft layer present beneath the enamel. The pulp and tooth’s root also will be available if the damage is severe. Remember that a tooth’s inner layers are sensitive to temperature, inciting sharp pain with temperature variations. The shooting pain occurs whenever you drink a hot beverage and cold fluids.
4) Pressure Sensitivity
The enamel’s density can be compromised with severe chips or deep cracks. As the tooth’s outer surface has been agitated, the tooth’s remaining regions have to withstand the biting pressure of force exerted over the fractured tooth.
To be precise, this biting force is not identical to a healthy tooth’s biting force and provokes immense pain. Keep in mind that teeth with such pressure sensitivity and compromised enamel are susceptible to encounter severe damage.
5) Damaged tooth root
As mentioned in the earlier topics, the pulp chamber and root portion of a deeply cracked tooth are also at risk of infection. When the infection goes beyond the pulp chamber and reaches the root canal, Endodontic treatment is required to preserve the tooth.
Root Canal Treatment (RCT) is a minor surgical procedure that involves extracting the infected nerves and tissues for preserving the tooth.
Bottom line
The chipped or cracked teeth are linked to severe oral illnesses irrespective of the degree of damage. Modern dentistry offers a plethora of treatments like dental bonding, dental veneers, dental crowns and various appliances to envelope the fractured part as well as the tooth’s inner layers to prevent bacterial infection.
