Chipping or breaking of the enamel on front teeth is by no means unusual. Classically this type of injury occurs in teenagers engaged in rough play such as going over the handlebars on bikes. It is also a common injury incurred during assaults and in contact sports played without a mouthguard. And as a further example we see it happen during DIY activities when a hammer or spanner impact against the mouth.
Light Fracture To Several Teeth
This particular case was an unusual presentation though as the injury is to several teeth at once and the damage is relatively light, none of the teeth have fractures beyond the first 1/3 of the tooth when measured from the tip. Fractures that occur further down the tooth can involve the nerve chamber of the tooth and this can lead to the nerve or pulp of the tooth dying and needing root canal therapy (a root filling). This suggested a relatively broad impact had occurred across the whole of the front of the mouth and when we asked the patient about how it occured it was revealed that the injury was from an airbag that had exploded, as it should, during a road traffic collision.
Before
Repairing Teeth Damage From An Airbag With Composite Bonding
The repair was effected using standard techniques for aesthetic white fillings: etching the surface with phosphoric acid, applying adhesive that penetrates the etched surface and then carefully choosing the correct shades or restorative composite materials to build up the teeth so that they look as natural as possible before finally polishing the surface to a gloss and checking that the teeth can bite together normally without impacting on the inside surfaces and preventing the patient from eating normally.
The patient was obviously delighted with this outcome as he had envisaged much more drastic intervention.
After
Cosmetic Dentistry In Peterborough At Smile Oralcare
At Smile Oralcare, our cosmetic dentists help patients achieve a smile that they feel proud of with cosmetic dentistry in Peterborough. We know that every smile is unique and so take a personalised approach, offering different solutions to suit different needs and budgets.
Please contact us if you or someone you know has suffered a similar injury or has had repairs that they are not happy with and we will offer our help and advice and treatment if they approve our plans. Call us on 01733 560 700, email enquiries@smileoralcare.co.uk or book an appointment online.