Treatments for Cracked Teeth

Nobody expects to crack a tooth, but if they do, we at the Miami Beach and North Miami Beach dental offices of Drs. Ressler, Hirschl, and Lelchuk hope our patients will have some idea of what to expect. We can repair most tooth damage, but patients are often calmer and provide better assistance with their own care when they understand what they’re up against.

Two basic elements of dental safety are to always wear a mouthguard when playing sports and to only use the back teeth for chewing. The molars have wide surfaces for distributing bite force and are held in place by multiple roots and thick ligaments. Other teeth are much likelier to break or tilt if they are subjected to bite force, but the molars can still chip, and they may crack if used to chew ice. If a tooth does break, a patient should rinse their mouth with warm water to make sure it is clean.

If a tooth is only chipped, we may be able to fix it quickly by using bonding. A minor crack, called a craze line, may be possible to cover with a veneer. However, if a tooth is deeply cracked, there is a possibility that the inner pulp will become infected. We may feel the need to perform root canal therapy to prevent this, after which we may reshape the natural dental crown as preparation for covering it with an artificial one. Teeth with cracks that go to the root may not be salvageable, but they can be replaced with partial dentures or crowns supported by implants.

Dr. Allen Ressler, Dr. Andrew Hirschl, and Dr. Ira Lelchuk operate from two locations. To schedule an appointment at the location at Mount Sinai Medical Center, 4300 Alton Road, Suite 1190, Miami Beach, Florida, 33140, call 305-532-1444. To schedule an appointment at Intracoastal Mall, 3909 NE 163^rdSt, Suite 310, North Miami Beach, Florida, 33160, call 305-949-2630. They can also be reached on their website, Miami Dental through a contact form.

Fillings and Toothaches

At the dental offices of Ressler, Hirschl, and Lelchuk, patients receive beautiful, naturally colored fillings. These treatments repair minor damage to the teeth, allowing them to function normally and making it easier for the patient to combat tooth decay. However, they are not life-long solutions, and patients will need to recognize when they are not functioning properly.

It is normal for patients to experience sensitivity immediately after the decayed dental material has been removed and filled in. But if they are uncomfortable for longer than three or four days, there may be a problem. It is possible that the filling is not at the correct height and may need to be contoured slightly. This is especially true if the filling is interfering with the patient’s ability to bite down comfortably.

Fillings usually have a lifespan of about ten years. After that, the bonding holding them in place starts to crack. The cracks are excellent hiding spaces for decay-causing bacteria, which is why patients may begin to get toothaches again. The filling may also come loose, which is a sure sign it needs to be removed. Maintaining regular appointments allows us to examine patients’ fillings to determine whether it is time for them to be replaced before major problems develop.

Dr. Allen Ressler, Dr. Andrew Hirschl, and Dr. Ira Lelchuk operate from two locations. To schedule an appointment at the location at Mount Sinai Medical Center, 4300 Alton Road, Suite 1190, Miami Beach, Florida, 33140, call 305-532-1444. To schedule an appointment at Intracoastal Mall, 3909 NE 163^rdSt, Suite 310, North Miami Beach, Florida, 33160, call 305-949-2630. They can also be reached on their website, Miami-Dental.com, through a contact form.