Tooth Restoration Archives | Poplar Crossing Dental

I cracked a back tooth. When I went to see the endodontist, he suggested a crown but wanted my dentist to first remove the filling that was there in order to see how deep the crack went. Instead of doing that my dentist tried to mend the crack. Now one side of my tooth is okay but the other has pain whenever there is any pressure on it. My dentist is now considering doing an onlay. Will that work or will I just end up needing a dental crown anyway? I don’t want to do more unnecessary and expensive work.

Kayla

Dear Kayla,

It will be difficult to give you a definitive answer here because there are so many possibilities depending on the type of crack and the type of onlay. One thing I want to make sure we are clear on is whether the tooth is cracked or fractured. If the tooth can move independently, it is fractured. Treating a cracked tooth is important because it prevents a fracture.

I don’t know whether your crack is superficial or deep. That will impact the treatment as well and is why your endodontist wanted the information. There are some onlays that can help with any type of crack, but I don’t know what type of onlay your dentist is planning.

An onlay is a great tooth restoration because it only goes between the teeth instead of into the gumline, but they are harder to do. The material options are gold, porcelain, or hardened composite. A gold onlay can protect any cracked tooth as long as it covers the entire tooth surface. Porcelain onlays should only be used to deal with minor cracks. This would include a very superficial crack or a horizontal crack which only impacted the corner or cusp of a tooth. I would not recommend it as a solution to a vertical crack. A hardened composite onlay is pretty much useless in this situation. I would not recommend it as a treatment for a cracked tooth at all.

In all honesty, an onlay is a temporary solution. What I think you need is a second opinion by someone who can examine the crack. Or, you can just go ahead and get the dental crown.

This blog is brought to you by Hoffman Estates Dentist Dr. William Becker.

I tend to avoid the dentist like the plague. No offense but I have never had a good dental experience. I had a back tooth start hurting me a while back. I ignored it and eventually it went away. I noticed this morning when I was brushing my teeth, some brown bits on my toothbrush. I had my wife take a look and there is a huge cavity back there. What do I do to fix the tooth?

Dennis

Dear Dennis,

I am sorry to hear about your experiences with the dentist. After we address your tooth, I’ll give you some help in getting pain-free dental appointments. First, let’s get to that tooth of yours. If the decay is so bad that it is visible and starting to crumble, you are going to need a dental crown in order to save the tooth. The dentist will remove enough tooth structure to make sure there is no decay and that the crown can fit around your tooth. Hopefully, you will get to the dentist in time for just needing a tooth restoration and it can still be saved. If it cannot be saved, then your only option will be a tooth extraction and replacement. If that happens, I am going to recommend you get a dental implant for your replacement. This will be the closest thing to having a healthy, natural tooth again.

As to the experiences you’ve had, yes, there are some rough dentists out there. This can lead to dental anxiety, which keeps people away from the dental care they need. There are dentists who understand what you’ve been through and want to help you have positive experiences at the dentist so that you can have the best oral health possible….and keep all your teeth.

I would look for a sedation dentist. They will not judge how long it has been since you have seen a dentist. Even better, they have medication that can completely relax you and enable you to have an anxiety-free as well as a pain-free dental appointment. If you find someone who offers oral conscious sedation (sometimes called sleep dentistry), you can get a ton of work done at each appointment, all while sleeping through it. It’s administered by a simple pill. The only downside is you will need someone to drive you to and from your appointment as well as stay with you for a few hours until you are lucid and steady on your feet again.

This blog is brought to you by Hoffman Estates Dentist Dr. William Becker.

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