Unfortunately, due to many reasons, such health problems occur that teeth simply crumble. This can occur at different ages, with baby teeth in children and permanent teeth in adults. What to do? Of course, you should see a doctor. Go to the dentist, and after the examination he can refer you to a specialist and advise you to undergo an examination.
Symptoms
It is difficult to miss such a fact when a tooth has crumbled. This usually occurs while eating, and a hard piece of enamel is felt in the mouth. Sometimes there are many small pieces at once. There is a feeling of panic. After all, we know from school that enamel is the hardest tissue in the body. Why does this happen, causing teeth to crumble and crack?
It happens that it all starts with stains on the enamel - this is a symptom that not everything is in order. And you need to make a visit to the dentist before the crown of the tooth collapses.
Artistic restoration
This method is also called extension. This method is widely used for noticeable chips and moderate chips. Restoration consists of layer-by-layer application of a special composite material. Each layer is illuminated with a special lamp. The doctor may use various tools to give the tooth a natural shape. This is a direct artistic restoration. It involves restoration directly in the patient’s mouth.
Indirect restoration involves the installation of restorative structures, previously made according to an individual impression in a dental laboratory. This group of methods includes ceramic veneers, inlays - fillings, pre-made in the laboratory according to exact parameters.
Both restoration methods can restore the shape and function of a chipped tooth effectively and aesthetically. Materials are selected to match the tone of your own enamel. Indirect restorations are more reliable and aesthetically pleasing.
Reasons why teeth may crumble
The answer to the question of why teeth crumble in an adult or child can be not only in the field of dentistry, but also much deeper, and everything is reflected in the condition of the dentition.
Causes:
- poor
oral hygiene. And no matter how they say that everyone always talks about the importance of the procedure, it is so. An acidic environment has a destructive effect on enamel, making it fragile and vulnerable. Increased acidity is affected by plaque on the teeth, which is where bacteria and their waste products—destructive acid—accumulate; - untreated caries
and other diseases, when there is a lot of carious tissue and the walls of the tooth become thinner. As a result, the tooth began to crumble; - mechanical causes
: trauma, super-hard food - nuts, chewing candy, etc., bad habits - chewing pencils, objects, opening a bottle with your teeth. As a result, the tooth cracked and broke; - changes in
food temperature. Very hot suddenly gives way to cold. The enamel does not withstand, cracks appear; - lack of vitamins
and minerals: calcium, vitamin D (which promotes the absorption of calcium), fluorine, phosphorus; - metabolic disease
. It is worth visiting an endocrinologist; - hormonal imbalance
. These are not only diseases associated with hormonal levels and fluctuations, but also special periods in a person’s life - adolescence and old age, menopause, pregnancy; - heredity
. Genetic predisposition to weak enamel; - stress
; - malocclusion
- uneven load on the lower and upper teeth; - Bruxism
is involuntary grinding of teeth during the day or at night.
Video from our expert about how and why teeth decay:
Teeth quickly decay due to chronic diseases, diseases of the gastrointestinal tract and endocrine glands. And crumbling teeth is a signal that needs to be responded to urgently.
Types of damage and consequences of chips
Chip of tooth enamel or microcrack
As a result, the integrity of the upper dental layer is compromised, or its particles are separated. In most cases, such damage is barely noticeable and does not cause pain to the person; experts classify these defects as mild, and people prefer not to go to the dentist with such “nonsense.” However, places where the integrity of the enamel is damaged may be subject to various stresses, which provoke the development of pathogenic microflora, carious lesions and the activity of pathogenic microorganisms.
Vertical and horizontal cracks
Chipped tooth with dentin fracture
Considered to be a moderate injury. Such damage may not be accompanied by pain, or may cause discomfort and unpleasant sensations to external stimuli: hot or cold food, sour or sweet foods. Dentin is the inner tissue of the tooth and is inferior in strength to enamel, therefore, if the lost part is not built up in time, the dentin will begin to crumble, which can lead to tooth loss. From an aesthetic point of view, even a small chip in a front tooth can significantly reduce the attractiveness of your smile.
Deep fracture of the tooth to the pulp tissue with exposure of the nerve
This type of injury is considered the most severe, often accompanied by a split tooth into two parts, profuse bleeding and sharp pain, reminiscent of the torture of the Spanish Inquisition, and even painkillers only temporarily dull the pain. In such cases, delay can be fraught with inflammation and the development of infection.
Teeth began to crumble during pregnancy
For the development of the fetus, calcium is necessary, which the child receives from the body of the expectant mother. A woman experiences a deficiency if she does not eat well and does not take it additionally in the form of supplements or mineral complexes. Teeth may be destroyed, which occurs quite often in this “interesting position.”
The next factor influencing the weakness of dental tissue may be a hormonal surge during pregnancy and the nervousness of the mother.
Necessary:
- take care of a sufficient supply of calcium
in the body, because it also affects the development of the skeletal system (including the rudiments of teeth) of the unborn child. Eat a balanced diet, if necessary, take active supplements with calcium and vitamin D prescribed by your doctor; - don’t be nervous,
and walk more - be observed
during pregnancy by a gynecologist, dentist, or other doctors, if indicated.
Teeth can crumble not only during pregnancy, but also during lactation. With mother's milk, calcium is transferred to the baby.
Content:
- Reasons why teeth crumble 1.1. Caries 1.2. Fluorosis 1.3. Erosion of teeth 1.4. Bruxism 1.5. Genetic predisposition 1.6. Unsatisfactory working conditions and poor environment
- What to do if your teeth start to crumble badly
- If there is nothing left of the tooth
Many people face the problem of decaying teeth. At some point, a piece of the unit breaks off, causing its appearance to change significantly. Below we will tell you why this happens and what to do if the tooth crumbles.
How to get rid of the problem, solution methods
The dentist will decide how to stop tooth decay after identifying the cause. If treatment by other doctors is necessary, then in parallel it is already possible to begin the restoration of dental units.
Dental restoration methods:
- filling.
Installing a filling in place of the missing piece of tissue. If the carious cavity is large enough and the walls are fragile, then an inlay with a composite material may be indicated; - veneers.
If there is a chip or crack in the front teeth of the frontal area, a thin ceramic overlay will correct the situation, hiding all the defects; - crowns
When the crown of a tooth is severely damaged, the doctor may recommend installing an artificial one from the selected material. Most often these are metal ceramics, ceramics, zirconium dioxide. It is important what condition the gums are in; - remineralization.
Restoring the normal balance of vitamins in the enamel structure. A special composition is applied to the surface of the teeth for several minutes. The tissue is saturated, enriched with calcium, fluoride, becomes stronger and can even remove caries at the chalk spot stage; - fluoridation.
Fluoride-containing pastes nourish the enamel. Fluorine is responsible for crystalline calcium compounds. Fluoride varnish seals dentinal tubules, strengthening teeth; - taking active
calcium and vitamin D
The ecological situation of the region of residence is one of the causes of dental health pathologies. The quality of air, water and food is far from ideal. Replenish the deficiency with complex supplements, spend your weekends in nature. Love organic farm products.
Special cases
Some injuries require a specific approach, which has its own characteristics against the backdrop of generally established rules. We should look at them in more detail.
Wisdom tooth
"Eights" cannot be restored. The fact is that this makes no sense, because they are not involved in the process of chewing food and are not so important for the functioning of the maxillofacial apparatus. Doctors resort to extraction; subsequent prosthetics are not performed.
Unit
Such damage is the most aesthetically unattractive, because it is visible to others if a person smiles or simply talks. Treatment methods can be any, it all depends on the dentist’s recommendations and the patient’s personal preferences and financial capabilities.
Most often, artistic restoration is used. The specialist selects the composition of the required shade and applies it to the surface. The layer of material is fixed with a special device with light radiation.
What to do if half a tooth breaks off, how will it be treated (a significant fragment has broken off along with dentin)? In this case, veneers are used. This is a reliable method that is durable. Over time, the color of the enamel does not change and remains attractive.
For the most serious damage, crowns made of ceramics, metal-ceramics, and zirconium oxide are installed. The final cost of therapy depends on the choice.
Lateral teeth
They are treated in the same way as the front ones. However, since others cannot see from the outside that there is anything wrong with your smile, ordinary fillings will do. The best option is extension. Overlays are not installed in this case.
If the nerve is damaged, the wound is first treated with an antiseptic. Then depulpation or extraction is carried out followed by prosthetics.
Dairy elements
What to do with a chipped tooth and how to treat it if it hurts? Many parents mistakenly believe that there is no need to correct problems that arise with children’s first incisors, canines and molars - they will fall out sooner or later anyway. This is a big misconception, because the doctor is able to quickly stop further cracking with a filling or a special gel without pain or other unpleasant sensations.
Children are often injured due to falls during active play. If you ignore the treatment of chips, this often leads to stomatitis and increased sensitivity of the dentition.
Procedure:
- calm the baby;
- give him clean water to rinse his mouth;
- disinfect soft tissues if they are damaged;
- save the fragment for the dentist.
No more than 24 hours should pass from the moment of injury to the visit to the dentist. Most likely, the child will be sent for an X-ray. The condition of the permanent one depends on the health of the primary occlusion.
Vertical crack
What should you do if your front tooth chips a little, but the absence of fragments is not visible, only a crack running from top to bottom is noticeable? At first glance, this problem seems insignificant. However, this opinion is erroneous, because most often the pulp is involved. In this case, the enamel layer cannot be restored.
If at first only a small strip is visible on the surface, over time, under constant pressure, it develops into large chips. Timely consultation with a doctor guarantees quick and easy restoration of the dental unit. Otherwise, you cannot do without installing crowns or veneers.
What to do if the tooth is completely crumbled
The crown part of the tooth has completely crumbled, what should I do? You must make an appointment with a doctor at a dental clinic within two days. After the x-ray, it will be clear whether the root is preserved, what condition it is in, and whether removal is necessary. Then possible recovery options:
- prosthetics (stump inlays, pins, crowns and bridges);
- implantation (implantation of a titanium artificial root into bone tissue followed by installation of a crown).
In any case, modern techniques are sufficient to compensate for any loss of teeth.
Injury
Single or chronic - the third reason for possible tooth chips
A single injury occurs when there is a blow, an accident, or accidentally biting on a hard object while chewing.
There are three types of chronic injury
- Due to malocclusion (when the teeth do not close correctly, some teeth may receive excessive load, close in the wrong areas, at the wrong angle, or with an opponent that is not their power). For example, a powerful fang of the lower jaw can be positioned in such a way that when closed, it will severely injure the incisor on the upper jaw, which is much inferior to it in size and power. As a result of such long-term closure, the incisor can get into big problems, and the patient will face the need for treatment or removal.
- Due to the absence of other teeth (when a number of teeth are missing, their work is performed by the remaining ones; excessive load may one day result in a fracture of the tooth, a break in its wall, or a split in the root).
- Due to bruxism (“idle” teeth grinding) or other parafunctional manifestations.
How to avoid?
- Be sure to restore missing teeth (there are a lot of ways today, there are even temporary prosthetics if for some reason you need to postpone dental treatment).
- Consult an orthodontist, orthopedist or periodontist about bite problems and undergo orthodontic treatment if indicated.
- Get advice from an orthopedist/gnathologist and psychotherapist about the possible causes of bruxism and take possible measures that the doctor recommends.
