Can a Smile Makeover Restore a Damaged Tooth?

You may have heard about how a smile makeover can help you overcome different problems. These may include tooth loss, crooked teeth, and discolored teeth. Treatments can also help repair damaged teeth. If you have broken, chipped, or cracked a tooth, your dentist can recommend the right solution. You can then once again like the way your look and enjoy good oral health.

Types of tooth damage and the causes

Often, trauma can cause tooth injuries. Though teeth are stronger than bones, they can still suffer damage. A blow to the face, a hard face-first fall, or other types of injuries and accidents can cause damage. Biting into a hard food or object such as a utensil or pen can chip, crack, or break a tooth.

Cavities can also cause damage to a tooth. More widespread decay can begin to deteriorate a tooth. One cause of that is poor oral hygiene. Not visiting the dentist often can also lead to decay as well as infection and other serious problems.

Getting a crown

A dental crown is a type of smile makeover that works well to repair damaged teeth. The crown fits entirely over the tooth, protecting it from additional damage. The dentist first reshapes the tooth before securing the crown over it with dental cement. It is natural-looking in size, shape, and color. A crown can also last up to 10 years or more, especially if the patient is diligent about brushing and flossing. With the help of a crown, the patient can have a full smile once more.

A dental veneer for a smile makeover

Dental veneers are another possibility when a patient has damaged a tooth. Commonly, dentists will recommend veneers when a front tooth has a large chip or fracture. Unlike crowns, veneers attach to the front of a tooth. It can restore the proper shape and appearance of a tooth.

The dentist can make it to be the desired color shade as well. Veneers are typically made of porcelain and can last seven to 10 years. It bonds to the tooth with dental cement. Before placing it on the tooth, the dentist etches the tooth and removes some enamel.

Bonding

When a tooth has minor damage, the dentist may choose to put in a filling or use dental bonding. For a small chip, for example, bonding can build up the missing area. The material is made of a composite resin, so it can look like the tooth and blend in well. To use bonding, the dentist may not even have to use a local anesthetic to numb the patient.