Brushing and flossing your teeth can keep them clean and beautiful, but it can’t necessarily prevent all forms of damage to your teeth. For instance, if you suffer a traumatic accident or have issues with grinding your teeth, then you might find yourself with a chipped, worn, or fractured tooth. The good news is that your dentist can likely fix your fractured tooth with a dental crown, and even clean the tooth’s interior to ensure that bacteria doesn’t enter it and cause an infection.
A Dental Crown to the Rescue
Your teeth are the most resilient parts of your body, but once they’re fractured, they can’t repair themselves. Fortunately, a custom dental crown can be placed over a compromised tooth to hold it together while protecting it from bite pressure. If your fractured tooth is a molar, then you might benefit most from a strong metal crown. However, more visible teeth can be protected and cosmetically improved with a durable porcelain or zirconia crown.
Will I Need Root Canal Treatment?
While a crown can protect the outer part of your tooth, some fractured teeth require root canal treatment before the crown can be placed. If the fracture has exposed the tooth’s pulp, then root canal treatment can ensure that any oral bacteria that may have entered the tooth is removed to avoid internal tooth infection. Otherwise, infection can be trapped within the tooth and consume it, eventually needing tooth extraction.
