A cracked back tooth is one of the most common problems with teeth today. Typically the further back in the mouth, the occurrence of a tooth problem increases. The uncomfortable tooth often is not broken. Broken back teeth are usually less painful than a cracked tooth before it breaks.

The signs and symptoms of a cracked tooth are:

• Temperature sensitivity is especially noticeable when pressure is placed on the tooth
• The tooth location is far back in the mouth. Therefore, the last molar is most likely, and the risk decreases with each tooth forward.
• The problem tooth often shows significant wear signs, indicating more than normal function against the tooth it bites against.
• When checked with an inked paper called articulating paper, extensive ink areas are left on the tooth rather than a more normal point-to-point contact between the teeth.

• Teeth with large dental fillings are weaker and more susceptible to cracking and breaking.
• The tips of the canine teeth (eye teeth) are worn off.

Why do teeth crack?

To understand this, you must first understand what is expected. In a normal situation, the upper and lower back teeth touch each other with point contacts. When a person chews, the back teeth do not touch when the jaw moves from side to side. The four canine teeth (two uppers and two lower) guide the jaws apart, sending a signal to the brain to open the mouth when the jaw slides left or right. The back teeth only make contact when the jaws are fully together. Ideally, the at-risk back teeth only receive vertical force down the tooth center, where they were designed to receive heavy pressure best. Side forces on back teeth are not well tolerated and place the tooth at risk of developing a crack(s). If there is a filling in the tooth, especially a large filling that is also a silver/mercury amalgam, the tooth crack risk dramatically increases. People who grind their teeth have an increased risk of developing a cracked tooth.

What to do to prevent or treat cracked back teeth.

If the tips of the four canine teeth are worn down, allowing the back teeth to come into contact heavily in side-to-side movements, the individual should consider the value of placing a dental restoration on the canines to improve jaw guidance by eliminating or lessening side-to-side forces on the back teeth.

If a person grinds their teeth at night, they should consider wearing a protective night guard over the upper or lower teeth to lessen the stress on the teeth and the jaw muscles.

Tooth grinding and heavy tooth wearing can indicate tooth interference with normal jaw closure. The dentist may feel the individual could benefit from adjusting the bite.

If, on routine examination, the dentist notices a darkened crack line in a tooth, the dentist should consider placing a protective crown or onlay restoration. This contains the walls of the tooth on either side of the crack preventing the crack from propagating through the tooth.

If left untreated, the crack could extend through the tooth to the nerve (pulp) area requiring root canal treatment. If the crack extends through the nerve area to the middle of the tooth where it meets the jaw bone, the tooth would need to be removed.

Cracked Tooth Restoration

If the cracked portion ultimately breaks off the tooth, it frequently breaks down to where it emerges from the bone, requiring a crown-lengthening surgical procedure before the dentist can restore the tooth with a dental crown.

The post Doctor Doctor – My Tooth Hurts appeared first on Dental Group Articles.

In any event, not many people floss once a day. Let’s be real. If you floss three times a week, you are in the upper echelon of oral hygiene. If you floss less than that, you have to make a habit of it. Flossing is like anything else. The more you do it, the more efficient you become at doing it.

I tell my patients to attach it to something. If you watch Jeopardy or Sports Center, bust out 18 inches of floss when you hear the theme song and get to work. Attach flossing to one of your daily rituals a few times a week. It will easily become a habit.  It is a small thing you can do for yourself with great long-term results.

When my patients finally make it a habit (trust me, my hygienists and I can tell), they say how easy it is to maintain it. Regular flossing means less time and money spent in my chair, which means you can put your funds towards flossin’ your other grill.

TIME Magazine (11/5/2014) lists “16 Unexpected Ways to Add Years to Your Life”.  One of those ways is as simple as flossing, recommended by the American Dental Association and your dentist.

Flossing daily removes food caught between your teeth and prevents bad breath; it also removes the bacteria before it hardens into plaque.   Through a complex biochemical chain of events, bacterial plaque colonizes below the gum line and creates inflammation around the teeth.   Gingivitis is, by definition, reddened and inflamed gums that easily bleed. Periodontal disease is a chronic inflammation of the bone and tissues that support the teeth.   Left untreated, gingivitis leads to complications requiring periodontal disease treatment.   The bacterial toxins in plaque cause irreversible changes to the gums and bones that support the teeth.  It is not uncommon to lose teeth as the bone around the teeth shrinks away in response to the inflammation caused by bacterial toxins.

Your mouth is a gateway to the entire body.  If periodontal disease is left untreated, bacteria and toxins that cause periodontal disease stimulate the liver to produce high levels of C-reactive proteins (CRP) that circulate through the bloodstream.  Studies show high levels of CRPs in the bloodstream in response to acute injury, infection, and inflammation.  Although the link is multifactorial, CRP levels in the bloodstream, common to periodontal disease, make an individual two to four times more likely to suffer a heart attack or stroke, increase the chances of diabetes, and even low birth rate in children.   Studies also show a link between CRP with pancreatic and kidney cancer.    “Periodontal disease needs to be considered a major contributor to increased levels of CRP by the medical community,” says Dr. Steven Offenburger of the American Academy of Periodontology.

Want to live longer?  Use your floss for more than an emergency repair of a broken shoelace!  Good oral habits such as brushing, flossing, and regular professional visits to your dentist will improve your oral health.   The science is now irrefutable – good oral health leads to overall health!

Chandler Cosmetic Dentist
Kelly Jorn Cook, DDS
3800 West Ray Road, Ste 19
Chandler, AZ 85226

Phone: (480) 899-4477 

https://www.kellyjorncook.com

The post Flossing can save your life! appeared first on Dental Group Articles.