Appearance..Smile..Esthetics..Looks

How many of us had that awkward moment when we are conscious of our smile. Either the teeth are not properly positioned, discolored, fractured or chipped.....

Some people are highly conscious about their appearance, the way the hair is, dressing sense, the shoes they wear. Similarly, the teeth that we display also creates an impact on ones personality and if they are not visually pleasing, an individuals self confidence is affected. Psychologically some people are indifferent of the fact that the front tooth is chipped and adds to their personality, however some people are highly sensitive and may display lack of confidence.

Discoloration of teeth and crooked positioning of the front teeth is common cause for seeking improvement in the appearance.

Some people experience a chipped or broken tooth during their life time due to sports, physical conflict or accident (trauma). The fractured tooth can be of various degree depending on the location of the fracture. At times the fracture may only involve enamel and with the help of minimum intervention the problem can be resolved. Where as if the fracture involves the pulp, a root canal treatment is indicated followed by a full coverage restoration such as tooth colored crown (cap). In between there is a possibility of the fracture involving the enamel and dentin, a restorative procedure by tooth colored material or if extensive tooth structure is lost then a tooth colored crown usually solve the problem. Another possibility exists where the root of the tooth fractures within the encompassing bone. In these instances an X-ray is indicated to visualize the extent of damage. These condition require close monitoring and frequent visit to the dentist to assure that the condition is not progressing towards pathology. 

Post trauma discoloration

Periapical Abcess

Due to trauma, if the tooth is asymptomatic may lead to discoloration due to death of the pulp tissue. The blood in the pulp chamber coagulates, imparting the color through the translucent tooth structure. These conditions are tackled by root canal treatment to remove the dead pulp tissue followed by bleaching, and/or a tooth colored crown.

Trauma may also cause a tooth to displace it from the original position creating discontinuity in appearance. In this situation the affected tooth need to be observed periodically to prevent pathologic conditions.
The loss of tooth due to trauma will be covered as a separate topic in another post.

Post trauma discoloration

Periapical Abcess

Discoloration of teeth can be either from the outside or from inside. When the surface of the tooth is subjected to pigments or chemicals the surface gets discolored. This is called as extrinsic staining. Extrinsic staining may be due to excessive consumption of tea, coffee, smoking, turmeric in food, etc.

Staining of teeth due to smoking

Discoloration due to caries

Intrinsic staining is commonly caused by trauma to tooth and necrosis (death) of the pulp tissue. Other reasons are related to developmental disorders (Amelogenesis imperfecta), or due to medications such as tetracycline (an antibiotic). Tooth discoloration may also be due to caries or old restorations.

The detailed description about esthetics will be covered in a different post