My teeth are crooked and twisted in same direction and tooth is broken off
Q. Hi, I have a question about treatment for a problem with my lower teeth – the four between the incisors on the lower jaw. They’ve always been crooked, all of them are twisted in the same direction. I always brush twice a day at least, however, I still have had problems. Whilst brushing I felt a piece of what felt like tooth come out. I checked and I noticed a yellow buildup all along the inside of them 4 teeth. And the tooth which part of came away from now feels broken from the bottom of it and sharp. It feels as if the lower quarter of the tooth has just come off. Also, the yellow deposits will not brush off at all. I have no idea why I have these as I always brush a minimum of twice a day. perhaps it’s because the crookedness stops the brush from reaching there. My question was two-fold:1) What can be done for the tooth which has been chipped away?
2) What is the yellow buildup on the teeth? 3) As a long term solution, can braces be used to straighten the teeth and to ensure that there aren’t any nooks for nasty stuff to build up in?
4) What would be the cost of such treatment?
5) How much of a tooth has to chip off before there\’s a risk of it falling out?.. Thanks very much for your time.
A. The yellow deposit that has fallen off the neck of your tooth is calculus ( hardened food ). It has developed over time due to food been left behind your lower teeth that has calcified. Some people develop calculus quicker than others and some areas ( especially crooked teeth) can be especially a problem to clean. If you did keep this area meticulously clean the calculus would not develop. You have 2 things you may want to do:
1. Visit a dental hygienist to have the calculus removed and been shown how to keep the area clean. You will be amazed at just how precise you need to be to keep this are clean and how necessary it is to clean between the teeth with something like floss or interdental brushes.
2. Have your teeth straightened with a brace. This will certainly make this area easier to clean. I guide to the cost is that it can range from about £1500 to £5000 depending what is needed to done. However you would need to get an estimate from your dentist or orthodontist as costs can vary.
Dr Julian Caplan – Director on the board of the BACD
View My Profile
Dr Caplan
Tags: chipped tooth
This entry was posted
on Thursday, May 29th, 2008 at 1:32 pmand is filed under Dr Caplan's Answers, Experts Answers, Q. Broken teeth.
1) The tooth that has chipped away can easily be fixed with white filling or a porcelain veneer.
2) The yellow build up on your teeth is tartar. It is hardened plaque and is very difficult to remove by brushing alone. All adults get a build of tartar even though they brush their teeth. For you it is harder because your teeth are crowded. You need to see a hygienist to remove the tartar. All of my patients see the hygienist every 3-6 months to make sure tartar build up is removed and the gums don’t become inflammed. It is a very simple treatment and can take from 20 mins to 1 hour.
3) braces are a very good, non destructive treatment to correct crowding. However after treatment you will still get tartar build on the backs of the lower front teeth and I would recommend that you see a hygienist at least every six months.
4) Your lower tooth won’t fall out because it has chipped. It can however break off at the gum margin if a lot of force is put on it but by the sound of things your chip seems like it can be fixed easily.
Are braces fine to wear even if you have veneers? I’m looking into fixed braces because I feel they would be more effective and cost-effective too. I have a full set of porcelain veneers on my top and bottom teeth, so my question is: Can braces be fixed to them? Without causing any damage? They cost me a fortune, I just have one tooth that protrudes and it has always bothered me! The veneers were put on to mask a couple of chips and discolouration…not to straighten my teeth. Thanks for the help.
Absolutely fine to have them on veneers, just make sure the veneer is polished up after treatment otherwise it may feel a bit rough on the surface! Good luck!
As a child I chipped half of my right front tooth off. They replaced it with a filling at the front, not a veneer and not a crown. I havn’t been given the option of either of these although I I didn’t want them because I wouldn’t want to ruin my left front tooth that is ok. The problem with the filling is that it’s discoloured and it doesn’t match my exact tooth colour it’s a greyish colour. This makes me extremely conscious, I feel like I can’t smile or show my teeth, please help. I am willing to do anything that Is nessicary to feel more confident about my teeth it bothers me on a daily basis. Also if I had this one tooth corrected would I have to change any of my other teeth?
You could have the filling replaced or place a single veneer, if you do other teeth you will get a better colour match though
I’m 20 years old and interested in having veneers although my teeth aren’t rotten or crooked. They aren’t all straight especially my top row. M two front teeth aren’t rounded and are bumpy at the bottom instead of being smooth and even so this would be for cosmetic reasons to help my confidence and I could actually smile with my teeth for a change ! I live in the northwest what would be the price for this? And how often do they need redoing? Thanks
There are lots of options availbale to you, from bonding to porcelain veneers. Costs will vary due to many factors. I would advise you seek out a good cosmetic dentist in your area for advice
Hi Dr Hughes.I am in remission after fighting cancer of the tonsil. Some of my front teeth are starting to crumble from the top due to the radiotherapy I endured,I am curious what could possibly be done to stop or help this problem as I do have nice teeth.Would it possibly involve veneers of some kind? I will be asking my oncologist Dr at my next follow up appointment about this problem. Many thanks.
There may be several solutions for you and veneers or maybe crowns could be amongst them. It would be bets for me to examine you in person to be able to ascertain what treatment would be ideal for you. Some composite bonding or build-ups may also work?
Leave a Reply