Individuals who grind their teeth often complain of sore jaw muscles and gradual discomfort in their temporomandibular joints. Also known as bruxism, the force and tension of chronic night grinding can eventually lead to other forms of dental distress.
Sometimes the intense pressure applied to one or more teeth can exceed the structural capacity of a tooth’s enamel layer causing it to crack. When this happens the severity of the damage can vary.
A minor crack in a tooth’s enamel layer is sometimes referred to as a craze line. In many of these cases the damage is shallow and may cause little to no physical discomfort. Yet as time goes on the pervasive bacteria living in your mouth can start to inhabit the nearly microscopic texture of the craze line causing a new cavity to develop deep inside the damaged tooth.
In some of these cases Dr. Ali Nia and Dr. Amanda Wruble can simply seal the minor crack by performing a cosmetic bonding treatment. The process essentially involves our dentist applying a small amount of composite resin to the craze line.
The material can be shaded to perfectly match the shade of the tooth’s natural enamel. Once it has been applied the cosmetic bonding will effectively seal off the crack from further bacterial incursion.
If you have a tooth with a minor crack or other defect in the enamel layer, and you live in the Gilbert, Arizona area, you should call 480-558-7500 to have it treated at Dentists 'R Us.