Have you ever heard of craze lines? This might sound like a fun new trend – perhaps the latest dance that all the kids are doing. In fact, craze lines are tiny vertical fractures that can develop in tooth enamel. When the hard outer shell of your teeth is compromised like this, stains can easily develop. What you are left with is discoloration on your teeth that you cannot brush away. Your Skokie cosmetic dentist, Dr. Brent A. Engelberg will tell you how craze lines on your teeth are caused, and what you can do if you have them.
What Are Craze Lines?
You probably wouldn’t believe the amount of stress that your teeth undergo throughout a lifetime. Craze lines are usually caused from stressors that are placed on your tooth, though they can occur naturally over time. Some of the most common craze line causes include:
- Chewing ice
- Nail biting
- Using your teeth as a tool
- Oral piercings
- Bruxism (teeth grinding)
- Traumatic injuries
- Extreme temperature exposure
Fixing Fractures on Teeth
Luckily, craze lines are only surface deep on your tooth enamel. There’s very little chance that these vertical cracks will get deeper as long as you are keeping up with your daily oral hygiene and visiting your Skokie cosmetic dentist every six months for a checkup. It is possible, however, if you’re a smoker or drink copious amounts of coffee, tea, red wine, or other dark foods and drinks, that your craze lines can get stained and become much more visible and bothersome. Teeth whitening is an obvious solution. There is a high success rate for whitening with a cosmetic dental flaw such as surface fractures. If the lines happen to be more stubborn, or the amount of craze lines on your teeth seem too great in number to respond to bleach, porcelain veneers would be a viable solution.
Skokie Cosmetic Dentist Defines a Dental Issue Called Craze Lines
Your cosmetic dentist in Skokie offers cosmetic procedures that can help with a number of dental issues, including teeth whitening and porcelain veneers. You can reach our 60076 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.
