Virginia Dental Insurance Plans – Blue Cross Blue Shield

Have you ever had a mystery biting pain? Every once in a while something yummy, crunchy or chewy – like bagels, cereal or bacon – gives a quick twinge and goes away. Confused? It doesn’t happen again for maybe three months and then, ouch! There it is again. Are you going crazy?

No, you have a small crack in your tooth. It never shows up on an x-ray. Cracked teeth happen a lot on previously filled mercury silver fillings because the material expands over time. What to do? See your dentist and have her reproduce where you have the pain.

Chewing on a small piece of cotton or shining a light on it may help. You may need a partial or full crown to remove the fractured area and bond the tooth back together. Another filling will not help. Why fix it? It will break eventually and it never seems to happen in your dental office. You never know if it will break in a manner that will not cause pain because it may break into the nerve or under the gum. Both will cost more to fix. Have your dentist photograph and shine lights on your teeth to check for small cracks. Cracks in teeth are like cracks in eggs. They leak, go bad, and eventually shatter.

Getting cracked teeth fixed before they break will save time money and pain. Bonding the tooth back together may be accomplished by placing a porcelain or gold inlay or crown upon the tooth to hold all of the broken pieces from moving while chewing. Happy eating, y’all!