Dental crowns are restorations that surround the visible portions of your teeth. Sometimes called caps, a dental crown can restore damaged, decayed, or misshapen teeth back to their full appearance and strength. While they’re built to last, sometimes even the strongest of materials can break or crack. Thankfully, your dentist knows how to handle a broken crown in Harrisonburg. Keep reading to learn what you should do in the event of this dental emergency and what your dentist can do to help.
How Your Tooth or Crown Can Crack
Just like your teeth, a dental crown is strong, but it can still break or crack. Whether its accidents or bad habits, your crown can break for some of these reasons:
- A blow to the face
- A fall
- Grinding teeth
- Wear and tear over time
- Biting down on a hard item
While injuries aren’t always avoidable, you can prevent yourself from breaking a crown by using your teeth strictly for chewing and speaking. Using them as tools to open packages or crack nuts puts you at risk of breaking your crown or teeth.
How to Care for a Broken or Chipped Crown
If you break or crack a crown, call your dentist in Harrisonburg right away. Depending on the break, you may need to seek immediate attention. Dental crowns protect the more sensitive part of your tooth, so if it breaks, it can cause pain and sensitivity. It’s important to see your dentist as soon as possible for repair.
What Can My Dentist Do to Help?
Depending on how severe the crack or break is, your dentist may be able to repair your crown. This can be done with tooth-colored composite resin, which can repair small chips and cracks in crowns. Sometimes, the crown may just need some reshaping, but if the break is too large, you may need a new crown altogether. Your dentist will examine the condition of your mouth and the crown to decide what your best option is for a restored smile.
Use these care and prevention tips to keep your teeth and dental crown as safe as possible. Be sure to call your dentist as soon as you break, chip, or crack any dental crowns in your mouth to save yourself from pain and more serious problems.
About the Practice
At Harrisonburg Family & Cosmetic Dentistry, we have a team of 3 dentists who are passionate about providing quality care. They are experienced in emergency dentistry and restoring teeth and crowns back to perfection. For any questions, they can be contacted through their website or by phone at (540) 432-6616.