If your front tooth has fractured or developed a crack, why should you be careful with hard foods?

Hello.

I am the director of Seoul Bardi Dental Clinic.

These days, “dwejonku” is really all the rage, isn’t it~?

With its crispy yet chewy texture,

a lot of people enjoy it.

In fact, one of the textures Koreans like most is probably the crispness

that makes a crunchy sound as you chew it in your mouth.

But did you know that, depending on your preference for texture,

your dental health can be completely different?

Today, I’d like to talk about something you may unexpectedly face

while having a meal and enjoying yourself:

a crack in the front teeth.

Why are hard foods bad for your teeth? If your front tooth has fractured or developed a crack, why should you be careful with hard foods?

Our teeth are the hardest tissue in the body,

but

they are surprisingly vulnerable to continuous impact.

If you keep cracking ice or enjoying hard candy,

micro fatigue cracks gradually build up in the teeth.

Even if the crack is not visible right away,

once it passes a critical point,

the tooth will split open with a crack!

It is similar to a windowpane with a tiny crack that suddenly collapses

from a small shock.

Symptoms that can appear when a tooth breaks or cracks If your front tooth has fractured or developed a crack, why should you be careful with hard foods?

When a tooth develops a crack,

even if it looks fine on the outside,

it may feel especially sharp when chewing food,

or

cause sensitivity when drinking cold water.

Usually, when a tooth is cracked,

when chewing food in a certain direction,

a startlingly sharp pain is often felt.

This is because food enters the tiny cracks on the outer surface of the tooth, or chewing pressure is applied,

which directly stimulates the sensitive nerve tissue inside the tooth.

If it goes beyond simply feeling sensitive and the pain has a clearly defined location every time you chew,

it is highly likely to be a sign that the crack is already progressing inside the tooth.

Such cracks do not heal on their own over time...ㅠㅠ

Rather, each time you chew, the gap widens and causes greater irritation to the nerve.

If you leave the symptoms untreated and the crack progresses to a deep area called the root of the tooth,

what happens then?

If the root splits,

there is no way to block bacterial invasion,

so unfortunately the tooth may not be salvageable and extraction may be necessary.

A case of a male patient who enjoyed hard foods If your front tooth has fractured or developed a crack, why should you be careful with hard foods?

Recently, a male patient who visited our clinic was a similar case.

He reportedly especially liked hard textures to the point that he usually enjoyed cracking ice with his teeth.

Then, not long ago,

at the moment he tore apart galbi with his front teeth,

the two front teeth, which are the large front teeth, cracked open, and he came in feeling shocked.

251229

When we examined the inside of his mouth directly,

even without him telling us...

we could tell what his usual eating habits were~

The chewing surfaces of the teeth

had worn down flat like a millstone,

and there were many small signs of chipping in various places.

251229

In particular, we also observed cervical abrasion, where the neck area where the tooth meets the gum was worn away as if it had been struck with an axe.

251229

When you chew food with strong force,

the tooth bends slightly,

and the weakest neck area breaks away.

These are signs commonly seen in people who enjoy hard foods.

How did we help with treatment? If your front tooth has fractured or developed a crack, why should you be careful with hard foods?

Fortunately, after a detailed examination of the front teeth (#11, 21),

we found that the crack remained only on the outer surface of the teeth.

Because the sensitive channel called the nerve had not been damaged,

we decided to proceed with crown treatment without root canal treatment.

However, one of the things patients worry about most when treating front teeth is the color.

They worry that after all the effort put into treatment,

the newly restored tooth might look too white or stand out on its own.

To ease those concerns,

we directly operate an in-house dental lab inside the clinic.

Usually, when work is handled by an outside company,

slight tone differences can occur during the communication process,

but

at our in-house lab,

I can communicate with the technician in real time

and precisely match the patient’s unique tooth color and translucency.

We can even do detailed work such as comparing and adjusting the shade directly while the patient is sitting in the chair.

251229 (Before) 260114 (After)

This patient was also completed with natural-looking zirconia so that there would be no sense of difference from the adjacent teeth.^^

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The joy of freely enjoying delicious food is truly great,

but

what is even more precious is our natural teeth, which we must use for life.

Because a tooth that has once cracked will not bond back together on its own,

you need to carefully pay attention to the small signals your body sends.

If your front teeth feel sensitive or you can see a tiny crack in the mirror,

it is better to get a detailed examination before it gets worse.

The earlier it is found,

the more ways there are to protect your precious natural teeth.

Our eating habits love hard and chewy foods,

so in the new year, how about giving your teeth just a little consideration?

Thank you for reading such a long post today.^^

▼Check the clinic location▼

If your front tooth has fractured or developed a crack, why should you be careful with hard foods?

Go to call for an appointment
02-481-4278

| This post was written directly by Seoul Bardi Dental Clinic for the purpose of providing medical information in compliance with Article 56, Paragraph 1 of the Medical Advertising Act. The information provided is for reference only, and we recommend visiting a medical institution and receiving guidance from medical professionals for an accurate understanding of symptoms and proper management methods. All procedures/surgeries performed at the dental clinic may involve risks depending on the individual (inflammation, bleeding, swelling, etc.). Please make decisions only after sufficient consultation with medical professionals in advance. The treatment cases in this post were photographed with the consent of patients who completed treatment at our clinic, and the before-and-after photos were taken under the same conditions. |