Denture Instruments

Denture Instruments

My Tooth is Cracked – What Do I Do?

If you have a cracked tooth, you already know it’s no laughing matter. A cracked tooth lets itself be known to the sufferer by its pain. It might be so small as to evade detection by x-rays and there be difficult to diagnose. But the electric jolt felt when chewing or biting down on food or exposing the tooth to cold can make a hairline crack feel like a fissure wider than the Grand Canyon. Even a microscopic crack in a tooth can irritate the pulp, which contains the tooth’s nerves.

What Causes a Tooth to Crack?

Teeth can crack from any of the following occurrences:

· Temperature extremes (cold drinks after hot foods)

· Chewing hard candy, ice, or biting down on hard objects

· Bruxing (grinding or clenching teeth)

· Brittleness from root-canal treatment

· Trauma

Discovery Difficulties

Because most of the force of chewing is placed on the lower molars, that is where most cracks occur. Sometimes they happen below the gum line, making them almost impossible to detect. They also don’t hurt continuously, but only when the nerve in the fractured tooth is affected, which adds to the problem of diagnosis. X-rays, dye on the suspected tooth, fiber optic lights and other special instruments don’t always identify a cracked tooth. So occasionally it’s up to you to correctly guide the dentist.

Treatment Options

The treatment for a cracked tooth depends on the degree of damage. If the fracture is not detectable by your cosmetic dentist, he will most likely go with the most conservative treatment first. If pain persists, the next step will be a more aggressive, complex procedure. Sometimes bonding can relieve the symptoms. Teeth with more than one cusp affected can many times be repaired by the placement of a crown. If the pulp of the tooth is involved, a root canal is in order, though about 80% of the time, this is not necessary. When a crack goes into the root beneath the bone and is impossible to repair, the only option left is extraction. In these cases, a bridge to replace the missing tooth will prevent the other teeth from shifting to fill the gap. And a dental implant with a crown attached will also prevent the jawbone from shrinking to fill the gap left by the missing tooth root.

Don’t Wait

If you suspect you have a cracked tooth, avoid chewing with that side of your mouth and call your cosmetic dentist as soon as possible. If treated early, more aggressive procedures may not be needed.

About the Author

Contact Dr. Brian Hale today if you are in the San Antonio, TX area and are in need of cosmetic surgery.

Do dentures prevent playing a brass instrument?

Recently I've been contemplating taking up the trumpet, trombone, and possibly tuba. However, about a year ago I had my upper teeth pulled and in the future I may have to get lower dentures.

My dad told me about an old buddy of his who refused to wear dentures because he thought they would interfere with his ability to play the harmonica (something my dad disproved when he got his own), but given that brass instruments require a different technique than harmonica would dentures interfere?

I'm 64, and I got full dentures 3 years ago. I've played harmonica for over 50 years. I've known several harmonica players who quit playing when they got dentures, although I've known a few who could still play. You have an upper denture, if you suck and blow, in and out rapidly, while maintaining embachour, they'll come loose. Its much worse than eating corn on the cob or an apple. I have to put all kinds of "stick-em" on my uppers in order to play harmonica, but I can still play, better than I ever have. Playing horn won't be nearly as hard as playing harmonica.

But, when you get your lowers, get implants. I have 4 screws in my lower jaw that hold my lowers on, and they work great. I spent $15,000 in one year at the dentist, but I'm very happy I did. You can't get lowers and go back a year later and replace them with implants, the bone will have receded to where there's not enough to hold the screws.

You might want to start with a bugle, they're cheap, require no maintenance, and use the same technique as other horns. Or, just get a mouth piece and play that without a horn.

Good luck!