Friday, February 28, 2014

Another thing that blows--chipped teeth

The WSJ, Feb 11, 2014, discussed what makes teeth chip? Besides a hockey puck in the face.

Enamel is brittle and slivers can cleave off. Front teeth "kind of hang out there" (dental term of art) so they are vulnerable.

Back teeth get it from crunchy foods as a rule.

Dental work can also weaken teeth.

If it's just chipped and doesn't hurt, it's a cosmetic decision.

Wait--any crack should be looked at they also say. A crack may widen and get to the painful area.

If a crack is jagged, cover it with sugar-free gum, one dentist said. Do not file it down at home. Well, it's
tiny," maybe--with a non-metal emery board.

If a big chunk falls off--do not put it in milk. That advice is no longer trendy. Place it under your tongue.

As for avoiding this, if you play sports get a mouth guard. Also-Jolly Ranchers are a no-no.

1 comment:

Javier Portocarrero said...

You do have some points in this article. It really does hurt to have chipped teeth as the nerves are exposed and cause a really painful sensation from them. People even have trouble sleeping because of the pain. However, nowadays, we can actually have those cracks repaired to relieve the pain.
Javier Portocarrero