Broken Teeth

Many middle-aged people experience broken teeth.  Sometimes, this is due to large fillings placed in their youth acting as wedges  over time, and consequently fracturing the tooth.   Even teeth without fillings can fracture due to increased brittleness of aging teeth.   There is a reduction in the damage tolerance of teeth over time.  Clenching or grinding, chewing ice or hard candy, olive pits, and popcorn kernels can all add undue stress to a tooth causing it to fracture.  The cracked tooth syndrome can be resolved by a crown encasing the tooth.  Pain on biting may mean a tooth is about to fracture and should be crowned before a root canal or extraction becomes necessary.