How to conservatively handle cracks in anterior teeth?

If an anterior tooth is partially cracked sometimes it is possible to repair it with bonding. This sort of repair probably wouldn’t work well for posterior teeth.since these teeth experience greater chewing pressures. Anterior teeth are are used mostly for cutting and are not used for crushing food. Of course if a tooth is completely cracked it will not be a good solution, but if the crack is only partially through the tooth it can work. Often this repair can be simply made by making a small groove in the tooth where the crack is and also beveling the adjacent enamel. Below is a before and after example. These type of repairs can be an affordable way of dealing with cracks in anterior teeth and may help prevent them from worsening. It should be stressed that some cracked teeth need to have crowns placed in order to successfully repair them and all of my patients with cracks in their anterior teeth are advised to have a hard or soft night guard made, since that may protect their teeth from any stress caused by night time bruxing activity.