The first premolars are located just to the rear of the canines on both the upper and lower jaws. During chewing, the premolars followup the tearing action begun by the canines and then pass the torn food back to the rear molars for grinding. If you have a cracked premolar tooth, you can experience discomfort when chewing, and the tooth is located far enough to the front of your mouth for the crack to cause some cosmetic concerns as well.

Your dentist or cosmetic dentistry specialist can treat the cracked first premolar with prosthodontics, which is a fancy way of saying a piece of dentistry that can alter and improve the look of the tooth. What are some of the prosthodontics available for a cracked first premolar?

Resin Bond

Resin bonds are one of the quicker and cheaper prosthodontics. The dentist can shape the resin material straight onto the premolar tooth, and then harden that resin into place with a special light. You typically only need one office visit to receive the bond and if you decide to undergo a different treatment later the bond is removable.

Resin isn't as durable as porcelain or metal-backed porcelain, but that isn't as large of an issue on a first premolar, which doesn't do any grabbing or grinding that would put a huge amount of bite force on the tooth. But you still want to exercise caution when chewing any hard foods. And avoid staining foods since the resin can stain like your real teeth but won't whiten.

Porcelain Veneer

Porcelain veneers attach to the front of your tooth with a cementing agent that adheres due to a light shaving of the natural tooth. A veneer is crafted in the lab based on a mold of your tooth, so a few office visits are required for this type of prosthodontic. The porcelain has a highly natural color and translucency that mimics real teeth. 

The veneer is stronger than resin and more stain resistant but not reversible due to the bonding cement and the tooth shaving. You will need to lose some of your natural tooth to the shaving, but that will also help take care of any jagged edges around the crack. 

Dental Crown

Does your first premolar have a significant crack that radiates through multiple sides of the tooth? Your dentist might have to install a dental crown, which covers the whole outside of the tooth instead of just the front. Crowns come in porcelain or porcelain with a metal backing that provides some additional strength and protection against bite damage.

To find out which prosthodontic is right for you, talk to a dentist like Michael G Landy DDS.