Are you familiar with a cosmetic dental condition called craze lines? They can literally drive you crazy when small fractures in your tooth enamel develop and become stained and visible. When craze lines appear on the front teeth, you may feel self-conscious that others notice them when you talk and smile. Many people find this affects their confidence. Smiles are essential to your quality of life. We all deserve to feel good about our grins. Evanston cosmetic dentist, Dr. Brent Engelberg, explains what causes craze lines, and how to proceed in repairing them if you are avoiding smiling because of these vertical fractures.
Craze Line Creators
There are various causes of craze lines. Some are in our control, and some aren’t. The following things will put you at a higher risk for craze lines:
- Sustaining traumatic injuries to the teeth
- Nibbling on pens, pencils, or other hard objects
- Biting your nails
- Using your teeth as a tool (cracking nuts, opening packages and bottles, etc.)
- Wearing oral jewelry (lip and tongue piercings)
- Teeth grinding
Erasing Craze Lines
While you can’t technically erase them, you can definitely cover craze lines up fairly easily. Craze line fractures are shallow, so they shouldn’t raise your cavity risk. As long as you stick to proper oral hygiene and visit your dentist for regular checkups, the only real issue from vertical fractures is usually cosmetic. Once the enamel is fractured, remnants from dark food and beverages can get stuck in the cracks of your teeth, making craze lines visible to the naked eye. Simple teeth whitening, either in or out of your dental office, will often times provide an invisibility cloak for craze lines. When stains don’t respond to whitening, other cosmetic procedures such as porcelain veneers and tooth-colored fillings can restore a line-free smile.
Visit your Palatine Cosmetic Dentist
You can reach our 60201 dentist office at 847-259-8030. We are happy to serve patients in Northbrook, Deerfield, Highland Park, Wilmette, Winnetka, Glencoe, Vernon Hills, Lincolnshire, Libertyville, Skokie, Evanston, Palatine, Schaumburg, Elk Grove Village, Rolling Meadows, Northwest Chicago Suburbs, and Northern Chicago Suburbs.
