• Hairline Cracked Front Tooth
• How To Fix Hairline Crack In Front Tooth
• Hairline Crack Front Tooth
• How To Fix Hairline Cracks In Front Teeth
• Hairline Crack In Front Tooth Pain

These vertical lines in her front teeth are actually known as craze lines. Over years of use, our teeth tend to develop tiny cracks in the hard outer layer known as enamel. These cracks normally don’t cause any pain, but can easily stain, causing embarrassing discolored lines on your front teeth. What Causes Craze. Craze lines are technically cracks in your teeth, but they are only in the enamel (the very top layer of your teeth). A crack in your tooth penetrates the enamel and can go into the dentin and even the tooth nerve.

Hairline Cracked Front Tooth

– What to expect and what steps to take if you have a porcelain laminate chip, crack, break or come off (debond). | Remedies for common lost-veneer problems. | Underlying reasons why a veneer may debond or fracture.

What should you do if you have a veneer break off?

This page covers the subject of emergency care for situations where you have all or a portion of a porcelain laminate (veneer) come off your tooth.

As a quick preview, the following list provides a general outline of initial steps you should take.

Steps to take if you have a porcelain veneer come off.

1. Carefully remove the bits of the veneer from your mouth.
2. Store what you find somewhere safe. (Like wrapped in tissue and placed inside a medicine bottle.) Be careful, if the veneer is still fully intact your dentist may be able to reattach it.
3. Carefully investigate your tooth for sharpness. If needed, purchase white dental wax to place over its surface to protect your lips, cheeks and tongue from irritation.
4. Contact your dentist’s office and report your situation and findings.
5. Don’t look for trouble. Limit your tooth’s exposure to chewing and biting forces.
6. Also, limit its exposure to hot, cold and air because these types of stimuli may trigger sensitivity.

Additional information.

The remainder of this page provides explanations and details about the above points and issues.

How To Fix Hairline Crack In Front Tooth

• If instead you’re looking for information about how your tooth might be fixed, we discuss that subject here: Repair options for lost or damaged porcelain veneers.
• If you’re looking for information about what you should not do, read this page: Can you super glue your lost porcelain veneer back on?

Lost-veneer Emergencies – What takes place?

Most porcelain veneer emergencies involve the situation where the restoration has either:

• Fractured – Broken, cracked, crazed, chipped, etc…, with usually some portion of the restoration, possibly of relatively large size, coming off.
• Completely debonded – All of the veneer has come off. (Hopefully as an intact unit.)

1) Checking your tooth to determine what happened.

FYI – Be careful with this step. If there are any portions of your broken veneer still attached to your tooth these shards of porcelain could be sharp. When investigating, take precautions with your fingers, lips, cheeks and especially your tongue so they don’t get hurt.

a) What to look for.

There are really only two possibilities that may have occurred.

• Either your veneer has come off 100%, either as bits or as a whole.
• Or it has broken and a portion of the restoration still remains attached to your tooth.

1) Cases where all of the veneer has come off.

In terms of creating an emergency situation, this is probably the less troublesome of the two possibilities.

When investigating, you’ll probably find that:

A tooth that’s lost 100% of its veneer.

• Your tooth’s front surface definitely does feel different. But not in the sense of jagged and sharp but instead mostly just rough.

  (Remember, when your veneer was made your dentist probably trimmed back your tooth’s front surface just a little. And that’s what your tooth should feel like, roughened (by the trimming process) but still relatively flat and smooth. (See picture.)

• When looking at your tooth, you’ll probably notice that it doesn’t have the same glass-like glossy sheen as your other teeth. And you’ll find that it’s also slightly smaller than before and its color may be off.

▲Section references – Roman-Rodriguez

2) Cases where a portion of the veneer remains on your tooth.

In terms of creating an emergency, this is usually the more troublesome scenario. That’s because there is often some tooth sharpness to contend with. (Discussed below.)

As far as exactly what you’ll find when you investigate, there’s not all that much to say. You’ll both see and feel that there are now portions of your tooth (veneer actually) that are missing.

What’s missing might range from a large section or else just a small piece. Either way, the important thing here is to be careful with any sharpness the new configuration has created.

2) Checking your veneer.

Even after initially spitting out, you should still investigate your mouth to make sure any additional bits of the veneer have been removed too.

A good idea is to gently rinse your mouth and spit out into a bowl where the liquid can be examined for additional pieces. That way, you stand a better chance of achieving the luxury of accounting for all of the veneer.

a) What you’re hoping to find.

• If you only find one piece and it’s fairly sizable, then there’s a chance that your tooth’s laminate may not have broken but instead debonded (come off whole without breaking).

  This is a big deal because if it has, your dentist can probably reattach it.

• If instead you find that your veneer has broken into parts, the pieces are probably of little more than a curiosity to your dentist. Having them won’t assist in the repair process.

FYI – Since what will be needed to fix your tooth is so dependent upon precisely what has occurred, we’ve dedicated an entire page to this subject: “Damaged porcelain veneer repair – Options and possibilities.”

b) Inspecting your veneer.

Use the following points to help you get an idea if your veneer is still fully intact or not.

Look for a confluent outline form with no sharp breaks.

• Obviously, when you look down on the veneer’s convex (shiniest) side, it should look exactly like a tooth. The edges on this side will generally be rounded and smooth to the touch. (See picture up above.)
• The veneer’s internal (concave) surface may be harder to assess. Its outline form will typically look relatively symmetrical. The edges on this side, however, can be expected to have some sharpness to them.
• You can also evaluate your tooth. If you see broken segments still attached to it, you obviously have your answer. (Be careful. Shards of porcelain like these can be sharp to your fingers, tongue, cheeks and lips.)

  As mentioned above, usually the bonding that originally held the veneer in place will come off with it, leaving bare tooth structure (enamel) showing.

c) Store your veneer carefully.

If you find that your veneer seems fully intact, and if you can get it in that shape to your dentist’s office, having it will probably save you the cost of having a new one made. So, wrap it up in some bathroom tissue and then place it in a hard protective container, like a medicine bottle.

If instead you find that your veneer is broken, go ahead and save the parts you’ve found to show to your dentist, but most likely they’ll only be a curiosity to them.

3) Let your dentist know you have a problem.

You will, of course, need to contact your dentist’s office and report to them what you’ve experienced. And armed with the information you’ve accumulated, you should be able to give them a pretty full accounting.

Having this information, along with an update of how you and your tooth are doing and are coping with your new reality, they can then make arrangements with you for your tooth’s evaluation and repair.

4) What to expect in the meantime.

a) Cosmetic emergencies.

Most veneer emergencies are probably best described as strictly cosmetic ones. Usually, no significant difficulties will exist or crop up with the tooth other than the fact that it simply doesn’t look right.

That’s not to say that a person’s cosmetic concerns aren’t important or valid. However, your ability to get these types of issues resolved, permanently or even temporarily, will simply depend on your dentist’s availability in scheduling you for an appointment.

No good home-remedy solutions exist for resolving cosmetic issues. Possibly placing white dental wax over the tooth (explained below) can temporarily improve its appearance. We can’t imagine any scenario where a dentist would encourage any sort of self-treatment in reattaching the veneer, so don’t.

b) Your tooth itself will probably be just fine.

While you may notice some sharpness or transient air or thermal sensitivity associated with your tooth (both discussed below), you can generally expect that it will be OK.

You may not remember but …

In most cases, when your veneer was originally placed only a minimal amount of your tooth’s front surface was trimmed away. And in some cases, like when Lumineer® veneers (ultra-thin porcelain veneers) are made, possibly no trimming was performed at all.

And because it’s the norm that a veneered tooth has been altered so minimally, the outlook for its health and wellbeing, just because its veneer covering has come off (all or a portion of it), shouldn’t be expected to be a major concern between now and when you get in to see your dentist.

If you need more reassuring –

With many veneer cases, no temporaries are placed. That means that the patient’s teeth are left uncovered (like your tooth that’s lost its veneer is now) for the entire one to two weeks while their permanent laminates are being made.

Extenuating circumstances.

All of what’s stated on this page only applies to situations where a veneer has debonded or fractured under relatively passive circumstances (like unexpectedly biting into something hard). The outlook for veneered teeth that have undergone direct trauma is a different matter and the health outlook for the tooth might be different. This type of situation requires evaluation by your dentist.

c) What you are likely to experience with damaged veneers.

Since your tooth has lost its veneer, and therefore some or all of its front covering, …

• You may notice that your tooth has increased sensitivity to hot or cold foods and beverages.
• In similar fashion, your tooth could possibly display some level of air sensitivity, like when drawing cold air into your mouth.
• You may find roughness or sharpness associated with your tooth, especially in cases where a part of the broken veneer remains attached to it.

What should you do?

As basic precautions for teeth that have broken or lost veneers.

• It only makes sense that if something tends to irritate your tooth that you should avoid that activity. So minimize its exposure to hot and cold extremes and air.
• Avoid any activities or habits that will direct forces to the tooth (biting, chewing, teeth clenching).
• Manage the difficulties you experience using first-aid measures. (Discussed next.)

5) First-aid and home remedies for lost or broken veneers.

1) Apply white dental wax over the tooth.

If you do experience trouble with air or thermal sensitivity, or especially surface roughness, placing a protective layer of wax over your tooth can help to provide relief.

• Most drugstores sell white dental wax. (It’s frequently needed by orthodontic patients to cover over sharp brackets and wires.)
• Just squish a small, flattened piece of it over your tooth. Letting it work its way in between your teeth somewhat will help to hold it in place.
• Expect that the wax will dislodge easily, so remove it at times like before eating or at bedtime.

2) Wear your mouthguard.

In cases where the amount of sharpness associated with a damaged veneer is severe and can’t be managed, just wear your nightguard, sports mouthpiece, or with some designs, your orthodontic retainer.

If you don’t have one of these types of appliances, you might purchase a DIY mouthguard at your local pharmacy. (Forming these appliances involves heating them up, so if you are experiencing thermal sensitivity with your tooth, that might be a precluding consideration for this remedy.)

3) Assistance from your dentist.

While clearly not an at-home or DIY remedy, for situations where tooth sharpness is a factor that can’t be managed, don’t overlook calling your dentist’s office again.

Just because they can’t schedule a repair appointment for you immediately doesn’t mean that they won’t offer to have you stop by so they can buff down a sharp irritating point. Doing so should be painless and just take a few moments.

6) Your repair appointment.

Scheduling.

As far as receiving definitive treatment for your situation goes, you’ll usually find yourself at the mercy of your dentist’s schedule.

Generally, a lost-veneer scenario falls under the category of ‘cosmetic dilemma’ as opposed to an emergency where there are actual concerns about the health outlook for you and your tooth. But, of course, that doesn’t mean that complications can’t arise or that your cosmetic situation isn’t important.

• When you call your dentist’s office, be sure to give them a complete accounting of what’s transpired, what you’ve since noticed, and how that has affected you. They can then decide what level of attention you require.
• If anything changes before your appointment, make sure that you notify them so they can pass judgment on those issues too.

What type of repair will be made?

Because the range of possible repairs for lost veneers is so dependent on the specific circumstances of each case, we now discuss this topic on its own page.

7) Hopefully you can learn from what’s taken place.

For future reference in avoiding problems, it makes sense to take note of what activity broke, or immediately preceded the breaking of your veneer. (For example, fingernail biting and teeth clenching can place excessive forces on laminates.)

Be sure to discuss your circumstances and thoughts with your dentist. They may be able to suggest some solutions too. (For example, the forces generated by nighttime teeth grinding can be mitigated by wearing a dental nightguard.)

Underlying causes of veneer fracture and debonding.

The type of veneer emergency that you’ve experienced can give your dentist a hint about what type of underlying problem lies at hand.

a) Debonding.

A porcelain veneer is a sandwiched affair, consisting of tooth, cement and ceramic. When one debonds (comes off its tooth, primarily in one piece), the separation may have taken place either at the ceramic/cement junction or else the tooth/cement one.

What usually happens.

• Assuming that the original placement conditions were ideal, the most common failure point lies at the tooth and cement interface.
• The most likely cause for this is that the tooth surface to which the veneer has been bonded involves a high percentage of dentin (the tooth layer underneath dental enamel).

Explanation.

Dental materials will create a bond with dentin. But the strength of this bond is far weaker than the one possible with dental enamel (use the link above for more details).

If a high percentage of the tooth’s surface is exposed dentin, the strength of the tooth-to-cement interface will be comparatively weak.

Solutions.

As explained above, a dentist can attempt to re-bond the veneer. Unfortunately, the same underlying condition will still persist (not enough tooth enamel is present to create a secure bond) and therefore further episodes of debonding may be likely.

Especially in the case of repeated failure, making a dental crown for the tooth instead may be the only lasting solution.

b) Fracture.

Considering the thin, fragile nature of porcelain veneers, it may be surprising to most people that breakage or fracturing happens as seldom as it does.

These restorations work because when they’re bonded onto enamel, it’s the more rigid of the two and therefore tends to absorb most of the forces directed to the tooth.

Cracking.

When a veneer cracks, it suggests that the opposite is the case. The forces applied have been directed to it instead of tooth structure.

As an example, when a veneer is bonded to primarily tooth dentin (the problem discussed above) the laminate is the stiffer of the two. This tends to focus forces applied to the tooth to the veneer, thus leading to fracture.

Chipping.

In some cases, just a small chip may have broken off a porcelain veneer (like off of its biting edge).

This would simply be a testament to the fact that the tooth/veneer complex has been able to successfully withstand the pressures applied to it. However, the forces applied exceeded the internal strength of the ceramic itself.

The activity that caused the chipping might be a one-time event, like unexpectedly biting into something hard. But often it’s a parafunctional habit that is the problem and must be curtailed (clenching teeth, biting fingernails).

Page references sources:

Roman-Rodriguez JL, et al. Cleaning and retreatment protocol for a debonded ceramic restoration.

All reference sources for topic Porcelain Veneers.

Most of us think nothing of a filling or similar minor dental procedure.But, like with the thought of root canal treatment or the need for a dental crown repair, if we were to experience the trauma of knocking out a tooth or even cracking one, sheer panic would set in—irrespective of the pain. A cracked tooth is a fairly common occurrence and most of the time it happens by accident. Straight away, we would like you to know that a cracked tooth can be fixed in one way or another. Even if the tooth needs to be removed, there are plenty of cracked tooth repair options that are available to you.

In the event of cracking a natural tooth or even a missing tooth, there are five steps that you should follow as soon as possible.

Salt Rinse

The absolute first step in dealing with a cracked tooth before any tooth repair is to fill a glass with warm but not boiling water and adding a tablespoon of salt to it. Once the salt has completely dissolved, rinse the mouth several times. If you are able to, gargling with it would also be a good idea. The saltwater solution will kill any bacteria in the mouth and will significantly lower the risk of infection. And as with a cavity in a decayed tooth,t will also help reduce any tooth pain. At this point, you should also contact a dentist for an emergency appointment.

For Bleeding

One of the most fascinating things about the mouth is its healing ability. The mouth is one of the fastest healing parts of our body and, in the event of bleeding due to a cracked tooth, it should cease reasonably quickly. To help the bleeding in the area try and find a gauze, ensuring that it is sterile. Then hold the gauze on the source of bleeding and apply some gentle pressure just as you would any other wound. By doing this, the blood flow is reduced which enables the area to clot and stop bleeding. Should the bleeding take a while to stop, then try rinsing the mouth with cold water. This will contract the blood vessels, due to the temperature which is likely to end the active bleeding.

On a Scale of 1–10 How Much Pain Are You In?

Just like any other injury, if you feel a lot of pain or discomfort due to swelling, then take a painkiller. For those who prefer a more natural approach, a hot or cold pack could provide some temporary relief until you manage to get to the dentist. If you decide to use a hot pack make sure that it isn’t scorching and place it on the outside of the mouth. Cold packs should also be used on the outside of the mouth once it has been wrapped in a cloth.

Left with a Sharp Edge?

If the cracked tooth has resulted in bits breaking off and causing the remaining part of the tooth to be sharp then consider covering it with something like sugar-free gum. Paraffin wax is also ideal for putting on a cracked tooth, should you happen to have some on hand. An emergency dental appointment will present you with more suggestions as to how to tackle it. When an emergency dental appointment for that day is booked, it is important not to touch the tooth or else you could cause more damage.

Hairline Crack Front Tooth

Are There Broken Bits of Tooth?

In some cases, parts of the tooth can break off and become loose inside the mouth. If this happens, try not to spit the tooth fragments out or in the bin. Instead, you should take a mouthful of water and try to gently spit out the bits of the tooth into an empty glass. Next, fill the glass with milk to clean them and strengthen them. When your appointment is scheduled, make sure that you take the tooth particles along with you. Sometimes, a dentist will try and reattach the tooth fragments to the broken tooth. Although it doesn’t always work and sometimes the pieces aren’t viable, it is still worth a go because at this point there is nothing to lose—apart from the tooth itself.

What Happens Next?

The next step is to visit the dentist where they will be able to examine the affected area and determine the extent of the damage. From there the dentist will be able to explain and offer potential solutions. In the event of tooth fragments being recovered, the dentist will attempt to reattach them if they are in a good enough condition. Should this be successful, there will be detailed instructions as to what you should and shouldn’t do for a specific amount of time afterward. The reattachment of tooth fragments will result in the need to attend several follow up appointments within the following few days.

Treatment Options for Cracked Teeth

How To Fix Hairline Cracks In Front Teeth

While the treatment for cracked teeth will largely depend on the damage that has been caused, the most important thing to do is to contact your insurance company. Depending on how the tooth became injured or the type of insurance policy that you have in place, they might not cover the dental bill. This could impact the which treatment you decide to get. In most cases, when a cracked tooth needs repairing the procedures used typically include fillings, crowns, root canal, or dental veneers. For cracks that resulted in tooth fragments breaking away, providing that the pieces are in good condition the dentist will probably try and reattach them to the tooth. This doesn’t always work. Sometimes, after attempting it the fragments may fall away again, or the crack could intensify.If this happens, the dentist will need to resort to other treatment methods.

Hairline Crack In Front Tooth Pain

There are many reasons as to why teeth can crack and, because of this, it is hard to advise on what to do in order to prevent it. That being said one of the most common reasons is the grinding of teeth, particularly during the night when sleeping. People who tend to do this should inform their dentist and get fitted for a mouth guard as excessively grinding the teeth will cause them to become weak. Other than that, cracked teeth usually occur due to an accident and there is no way to prevent that.