Shattered Smile: Coping with Teeth That Are Breaking into Pieces

If you think, “My teeth are breaking into pieces,” you will also experience anxiousness with the frequent dental visits for restorations like fillings because they cost considerable time and money. In addition, they also restrict you from having your favorite foods.

If your teeth are weak and brittle, there is no reason for you to live with them. However, we don’t recommend removing them but explain why your teeth have weakened. We also provide some solutions which dentists can offer to restore your mouth to a happy and healthy state.

Causes of Teeth Breaking into Pieces

If you have weak and brittle teeth, they become more susceptible to chipping and cracking. The primary cause for your teeth breaking into pieces is their weakened structure which, despite having robust tooth enamel falls prey to several contributors that break down the tooth.

Some causes for your teeth breaking into pieces or weakening include:

  • Poor Dental Hygiene: Your mouth has millions of bacteria, most harmless, but some become harmful when left unattended. You can eliminate the bad bacteria from the mouth by practicing excellent dental hygiene at home and getting six-monthly dental checkups and cleanings from the dentist near me. Failure to maintain excellent dental hygiene results in enamel breakdown, besides cavities from tooth decay. The thinning of the enamel and tooth decay can result in the weakening of your teeth with time.
  • Teeth Grinding: Teeth grinding, alternatively called bruxism, is common and is linked directly to weakening your teeth. You may clench your teeth during the day (awake bruxism) or grind your teeth when sleeping. Subconscious clenching and grinding exert consistent forces on your teeth to wear down the enamel layers making them less resistant to pressure and impacts. The weakening of your teeth increases your likelihood of experiencing tooth breakage. If you are unaware whether you grind your teeth, kindly schedule an appointment with the dentist in Pleasanton, CA, where they can identify the tell-tale signs of bruxism by looking at teeth and suggesting a remedy.
  • Tooth Decay: Tooth decay weakens your teeth by eroding the tooth enamel to expose the dentin. When the porous dentin layer becomes infected, it eventually causes your teeth to crack and break or even fall out. If left untreated, tooth decay leads to severe dental health issues and an increased risk of oral infections.
  • Gum Disease: Periodontal disease weakens your teeth by destroying the surrounding bone and tissue supporting them. The destruction of the bone and tissue causes your teeth to loosen and eventually fall out. Furthermore, the disease causes pockets between your teeth and gums to allow bacteria to reach the roots of your teeth and cause additional damage.
  • Age: aging also affects your teeth because they become weaker and worn over years of use. It is a natural phenomenon because they have been in your mouth longer with exposure to various elements that cause teeth to weaken.

Besides the above, repeated procedures on a tooth by getting fillings to restore cavities can also weaken teeth and make them vulnerable to breaking. For example, if your tooth has received repeated fillings, it would have lost 50 percent of tooth structure, making it prone to breakage and requiring a dental crown instead of a filler.

Coping with Teeth That Are Breaking into Pieces

If you want to cope with teeth that are breaking into pieces, a dental exam is the first step in getting treatment for your breaking teeth. The exam involves a comprehensive oral examination besides recording your medical and dental history to create a personalized treatment plan. You will also need dental x-rays to assess the severity of the damage and the cracks because it is critical to diagnose treatment plans to help you understand your options before proceeding.

Dentists offer you a range of treatment options to deal with your broken teeth. The treatments will depend on your diagnosis and factors like whether the breaks are aesthetic or affecting the root. Some treatments for cracked teeth include root canals, fillings, dental bonding, veneers, crowns, and in worst-case scenarios, extraction.

If you want to avoid all the above remedies and prevent your teeth from breaking, you must incorporate an excellent dental hygiene regimen by discussing appropriate practices with the Pleasanton dentist to avoid most dental problems. The dentist can help you prevent dental issues from aggravating, saving you from extensive dental procedures by protecting your teeth from further damage.

If your teeth are falling apart, making you concerned, visiting Elite Dental and Orthodontics helps you understand the reasons behind the breakage. Kindly see them as soon as possible to determine the reasons for your weak teeth and incorporate the practices they suggest to safeguard them.