What Are Craze Lines On Teeth?

It is natural to worry when you see weird lines going up your front teeth. You might wonder if your teeths have cracked, damaged, or decayed. But do not worry, as these craze lines are nothing but cosmetic imperfections. These craze lines appear as small hairline cracks that affect only the outer enamel of your teeth.

AAE (American Association of Endodontists) defines five different types of tooth cracks, and craze lines are one of them. These cracks are the least damaging and do not harm your teeth. Most of the time, they are painless and do not require any treatment. The craze lines usually start appearing as people age. The other names for craze lines are superficial cracks or hairline cracks.

How do Craze Lines Look Like

Craze lines can show up in a variety of forms. They could be translucent and may also have shades of yellow, gray, or brown. If there are multiple craze lines on your tooth, suddenly, they might seem unsightly to you. Though most of the time, craze lines are not so apparent and go unnoticed unless you try to look for them. 

Your teeth may stain quickly if you have developed craze lines. That is why these lines are more visible on people who use tobacco or drink red wine, coffee, soda, and tea.

Reasons for Craze Lines

Craze lines can appear for various reasons. The most common being, normal wear and tear of teeth. All the years of chewing and putting pressure on your teeth add up and cause craze lines. Hence, it appears more commonly in people of middle or old age. Some of the other reasons for craze lines are:

• Bruxism or teeth grinding and teeth clenching for prolonged years.
• Misaligned teeth that cause an uneven bite pattern.
• Chewing on hard or non-food items such as ice, bones, etc.
• Nail-biting habit for a long time.
• Any trauma or injury to the teeth like being hit during sports activities.
• Ripping open objects using teeth.
• Exposing your teeth to extreme and sudden temperature changes like having ice cream and then sipping hot coffee.
• Any previous dental drillings
• Gum diseases that could cause bone loss.
• Large fillings that cause pressure on teeth in effect weakening them.

Can We Fix The Craze Lines?

You might already have craze lines and not be aware of it since they are very light initially. Though they are harmless, their appearance might bother you as it affects the look of your smile. So in case you are looking for some treatments to lighten these lines, then here are some of your options:

• Filling craze lines with composite resins
• Getting in-office professional teeth whitening done.
• Consider using Veneers. These are fragile tooth-coloured shells that attach to the front of your teeth and enhance their appearance. They are used for various teeth issues like chipped teeth, uneven size of teeth, smaller than average in size, etc.

Since, in most cases, craze lines are painless and harmless, you do not need any kind of dental intervention to treat them. But if you do not like how they look or the craze lines develop into deeper cracks, you must contact your dentist. Regular dental cleanings are one of the ways to prevent craze lines from becoming prominent.

Schedule your appointment with a dentist today and get the treatment on time!