Expert: Mark Bornfeld DDS - 2/18/2009

Question
I am 59 years of age and in good health. In the last five years I have had three cracked teeth, all of which the dentist pulled and put in bridges in its place. What I would like to know is this: How can I avoid getting a cracked tooth? I don't eat hard food or hard nuts. Thank you very much. Al Brown

Answer
Dear Mr. Brown,

The answer very much depends on why your teeth are cracking. For example, if over the years you have accumulated numerous large fillings in your teeth, these teeth will eventually crack due to years of accumulated stress and strain coupled with the weakness caused by those large fillings. Engineering principles apply to teeth just as they do to inanimate things: after a while, all mechanical systems break down, and teeth by their very nature incur substantial physical force. Teeth that are strong can resist these forces; teeth that are weak will succumb. Provided that you don't have additional teeth that are over-filled with big fillings, it is less likely that you will continue to experience breakage...

...unless you have an unconscious jaw clenching habit, technically known as "bruxism". This habit is often unconscious, occurs mostly during sleep, and because the patient is unaware that he is doing it, the presence of this habit can only be inferred by symptoms (a feeling of stiffness in the jaw on awakening, multiple broken teeth, excessive wear of the teeth, etc.) In cases of bruxism, many dentists recommend that their patients wear a "night guard appliance" during sleep. This device keeps the upper and lower teeth apart so that the harmful effects of bruxism can be minimized. You might wish to discuss with your dentist whether he suspects that you have bruxism, so that appropriate remedial action can be taken.

Hope this helps...

Mark Bornfeld DDS
www.dentaltwins.com
Brooklyn, NY