Fix Broken Tooth Woodland Hills

Top 10 Ways to Break Your Teeth

Teeth are incredibly strong—but that doesn’t mean they are invincible! Without proper dental care, teeth can become weak and more susceptible to damage, and even the strongest and healthiest teeth can break as a result of trauma. If you ever break a tooth, it’s important to visit your dentist as soon as possible so that this professional will be able to examine your tooth and figure out what to do next. It’s also a good idea to learn about the most common ways people break their teeth so you can avoid them whenever possible:

1. Injuries: Traumatic injuries are among the most common causes of chipped, cracked, and broken teeth. These types of injuries commonly occur in sports such as football, basketball, soccer, and volleyball, which is why athletes of all ages are advised to wear mouth guards to help protect their teeth from damage. Athletes aren’t the only ones at risk for these types of injuries, though—any falls or other hits to the face can result in broken teeth, so it’s important to be aware of your surroundings at all times and try to avoid hazardous areas and actions.
2. Cavities: Do you have any cavities? Even if it doesn’t seem like a big deal right now, it can definitely turn into a big deal in the future. When left untreated, cavities continue to decay and weaken the teeth, which undermines and weakens the tooth structure. It takes just the perfect bite into something, and then snap, the tooth can break. A fracture above the gums can be treated with a simple bonded white biocompatible filling. A large fracture may need something that gets sent out to the dental lab, like an onlay or a crown. This is where Dr. Pearl Zadeh takes a biomimetic approach to restore the tooth with its own lifelike form. Unfortunately, sometimes the fractures occur below the gum line, where dentists can’t access them. If this occurs, your dentist will need to enlist the expertise of their colleague: the periodontist, also known as the gum specialist. The periodontist will perform a procedure known as crown lengthening to reposition the gum tissues in order to expose the fractured portion of the tooth that is hidden below the gum line. In a bad fracture scenario, your dentist will only be able to properly access the fracture area after crown lengthening is complete. Your dentist will then be able to place a sound, bounded restoration on your tooth. In the worst-case scenario, a vertical fracture can occur that can lead to total tooth loss. Visit your regularly for checkups and if you do end up with a cavity, have your dentist treat it right away. This will help you avoid future damage and make it easier to maintain better oral health!
3. Misaligned Bites: The top and bottom rows of teeth should align properly for optimal dental health and an attractive smile. Some people are born with misaligned bites or have their bites become misaligned as they grow older. When the rows of teeth don’t align properly, the misaligned bite can result in greater amounts of pressure being placed on certain teeth. Cracked tooth syndrome is one of many problems that can occur. This pressure can result in cracking and other damage, putting teeth at risk for breaking. Braces and other orthodontic treatments can help fix a misaligned bite to reduce this risk—and reveal a more beautiful smile!
4. Chewing Hard or Sticky Foods: Some foods are easy to eat, while others require a little more work. If you constantly eat hard or sticky foods, then you might be putting your teeth in danger, as these types of foods can cause cracks and breaks. It is best to avoid or limit foods like nuts, ice, hard candy, hard bread, crunchy crackers, and caramel. If you’re going to snack on any of these foods, be extra careful!
5. Chewing Non-Food Items: Chewing on pen caps and other non-food items is a bad habit that many people try to break—but this bad habit can also end up breaking your teeth! If you chew on any non-food items, including popcorn kernels, fruit pits, and bones, then your teeth might be at risk for cracking or breaking. Stopping this bad habit can help protect your teeth.
6. Teeth Grinding: Another bad habit that can end up breaking your teeth is teeth grinding. A lot of people grind their teeth while they sleep, so they are not totally aware of the problem. If you think you have an issue with teeth grinding, it’s a good idea to visit your dentist so you can find a solution and avoid weakening your teeth.
7. Old Fillings: We already know that cavities can lead to broken teeth, but did you know that old fillings can also cause this type of dental damage? If you have any old fillings containing metal amalgam, they could be weakening your teeth and making them more susceptible to breakage. Visit your dentist to learn about new dental filling options that will be better for protecting your teeth.
8. Using Teeth Instead of Tools: Do you ever use your teeth to open packages or other containers? This can seem like a good idea when you can’t get something open with your hands, but it’s a bad idea when it comes to your dental health. It is easier to crack or break teeth when you’re using them as tools, so stick to using your hands and *actual* tools instead.
9. Getting Older: Age is just a number, but aging can take its toll on the body—including the mouth. As we get older, the dentin in our teeth weakens and becomes more brittle. This puts the teeth at a greater risk for breakage, which is why it’s important to continue to practice good dental hygiene throughout every stage of life.
10. Oral Piercings: If you’re thinking about getting a tongue piercing, you might want to think again. This and other types of oral piercings typically result in hard metal jewelry that makes contact with various teeth throughout the day and night. Over time, this can cause teeth to crack or even break—which means you might just want to stick to earrings!

Woodland Hills Cosmetic Dental services

• Fractured tooth
• Cracked tooth
• Tooth repair
• Chipped tooth
• Broken tooth
• Broken dentures
• Fractured crown
• Cracked crown
• Cracked veneer
• Cracked fillings
• Filling repairs
• Silver filling removals
• Crown repairs
• Crown replacements
• Crown fitment corrections
• Cracked onlays / inlays

To find the cost of how much to repair a broken tooth or cracked veneer, please contact our Woodland Hills dental office at (818) 672-1071 schedule an appointment and learn about our general dentistry services including crowns, bridges, composite fillings, and more.

Pearl Zadeh DDS | Dental Specialist on repairing fractured teeth

Dr. Pearl Zadeh can help if you’ve recently broken a tooth or cracked crown —even if you didn’t break it in one of the top 10 ways! We are accepting NEW patients in our Woodland Hills office.  If you are a new patient, our front office will help review all the financial questions, discuss your insurance, review your benefits, help submit on your behalf, write narratives, and follow up your claims only when possible. Please note, we are not a contracted provider. Our relationship is with you, not your insurance company. We advise you to be aware of your plan and its reimbursement schedule. We will do everything we can to provide you the maximum reimbursement possible. Since you are electing to get out of network services, you can pay out of pocket using your FSA/HSA card, credit care financing or if you have no insurance, you can pay cash or credit.

Dental Emergencies

If this is an emergency dental situation where you need pain relief from severe mouth pain, tooth ache, bleeding or infection, please call and schedule an appointment immediately.  (818) 672-1071