Do you crunch on the ice in your soft drinks? Can’t wait to get to the center of that Tootsie Pop so you bite instead of lick?  Both are common ways that people chip their teeth. Other people grind or clench teeth, many times at night so they don’t even realize they are doing it until their dentist sees damage. Simply exposing teeth to heat and cold can lead to chips, cracks, and breaks in your teeth.

Tiny chips are usually not a bother. But large chips and cracks in teeth or in fillings can lead to pain or permanent tooth damage. If you recognized yourself in this list of bad habits – it is time to stop. No more ice munching, no more crunching hard candy or cough drops. Protecting your teeth from damage will save you discomfort and hours in the dental chair repairing problem teeth.

Once a tooth has been damaged the treatment required to restore that tooth will vary depending upon the type of crack or chip, how bad the crack or chip is and where it is located in your mouth. For some simple repairs dental bonding or tooth contouring may be all that is needed. Porcelain veneers or crowns are usually needed to fix badly damaged teeth. Old, cracked mercury silver fillings are always replaced using modern dental restoration materials that do not contain mercury.

In the Columbus, Ohio area please contact StoneRidge Dental Care today at 614-476-6696 to schedule your appointment. Cracked or broken teeth will not heal themselves and the problems will only get worse over time.  Call today to discuss your options for repairing damaged teeth.