Each of your teeth has a specific shape and contour that helps it meet efficiently with its partners in your dentition. When a cavity or chip affects the biting surface of a tooth it can lead to significant discomfort and sensitivity…

Each of your teeth has a specific shape and contour that helps it meet efficiently with its partners in your dentition. When a cavity or chip affects the biting surface of a tooth it can lead to significant discomfort and sensitivity. 

Individuals with bad oral habits like crunching on ice or nervously nibbling on pens and pencils are often at increased risk of suffering a dental fracture on the biting surface of a tooth. Patients who grind their teeth while sleeping are also more likely to suffer an occlusal fracture. 

If you have a chipped or fractured tooth, it’s best to have it examined by a dentists like Dr. Thi Hoang or Dr. Thanh Pham as soon as possible. Left untreated the aberrations in the tooth enamel can start to attract bacterial deposits which could promote tooth decay. 

In some of these cases our dentistss can treat a tooth with an occlusal fracture by performing a dental crown restoration. The treatment plan will effectively replace the tooth’s enamel layer with a metallic alloy or dental grade porcelain. 

Going forward you might want to review and address the cause of the dental fracture. Curtailing a bad oral habit or wearing and dental guard in your mouth can help prevent damage to other teeth. 

If you are in the Livermore, California, area and you have a compromised tooth, please call 925.449.7900 to have it examined and treated at Las Positas Family Dental.