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DENTAL
FAQ's
How
can you mend a broken tooth?
The choice of an appropriate way to
repair decayed or broken teeth may at first sight seem capricious or
arbitrary, but it is not. We discuss amongst ourselves...
Q: I have a
large molar, which had a large filling put in years ago. It started being
sensitive to air, cold, and heat. The dentist said it has many
"fractures" in the tooth so it needs a crown. Crowns are
expensive these days, so I am wondering what other options might there be?
A: There are
fractures, and then there are FRACTURES. There are always small fracture
lines running through the enamel of all teeth, and these are of little
consequence. More serious are those that propagate through the deeper
layers of dentin; these definitely create structural weaknesses, and may
even involve the pulp of the tooth. Unfortunately, it is sometimes
impossible to determine the extent of fractures without removing the
filling in a tooth, since they are not well visualized on x-ray.
The decision
as to when a tooth should be restored by crown rather than by filling is a
subjective one, but not necessarily a blind guess. A dentist with
relatively few years of experience will know when a tooth is in danger of
cracking; for those who are fresh out of dental school, there are general
guidelines that are remarkably accurate in pointing the way to an
appropriate treatment.
For teeth
that need more than a filling, a crown is the most commonly prescribed
restoration. There are other restorations that will protect the tooth
against further cracking (e.g., onlays or 3/4 crowns), but a full crown
has the additional advantages of superior esthetics, retention, and
protection against recurrent decay. It is also not significantly more
expensive than the alternatives.
Compromising
the treatment by the inappropriate use of filling material may be a
short-term economy, but will ultimately cost you more. In the end, the
tooth will break, necessitating the treatment you perhaps should have done
in the first place; the tooth may even become non-restorable and require
extraction. By comparison, the fee for a crown may be a small price to
pay...
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