Understanding Cracked Teeth: Signs & Solutions
Symptoms of a cracked tooth can include pain while chewing, sensitivity to hot or cold, and pressure sensitivity, making it difficult to pinpoint the exact cause. Early detection is crucial, and an endodontist may be needed to identify and treat the issue using specialized tools. Cracked teeth vary in severity, ranging from minor cosmetic issues like craze lines to more serious fractures that may require a root canal or extraction if the crack extends below the gumline.
Video Transcript: Understanding Cracked Teeth — Symptoms and Treatment
Video Transcript: Understanding Cracked Teeth — Symptoms and Treatment
The following is a full text transcript of the video for accessibility. Total runtime: approximately 3 minutes, 24 seconds. Background music plays during the opening and closing.
Introduction
Our smiles are built to last. In fact, tooth enamel — the outer surface of our teeth — is the hardest substance in the human body, stronger even than our bones. That tooth enamel can withstand a lot of wear and tear, but as we live longer and expose our teeth to stresses like clenching, grinding, or chewing on hard objects, we can put our smiles at risk.
Signs of a Cracked Tooth
Signs that you may have a cracked tooth are pain when you’re biting or chewing, or sensitivity to hot or cold foods. But sometimes there are no symptoms at all. That’s why regular dental check-ups are so important.
Anatomy of a Healthy Tooth
To understand why a cracked tooth hurts, let’s take a look at a healthy tooth. Inside the tooth, under the white enamel, is a hard tissue called dentin. Inside the dentin is a soft tissue called pulp. The pulp contains the tooth’s nerves and blood vessels. It extends from the crown of the tooth into the roots of your teeth.
Why Cracked Teeth Hurt
When the enamel of the tooth is cracked, chewing can cause the pulp to become irritated. This irritation can grow, and eventually the pulp can become injured. Besides pain and sensitivity, the injury may lead to infection of the pulp tissue. That’s why it’s important to diagnose and treat a cracked or chipped tooth quickly, so the problem doesn’t get worse.
Types of Cracked Teeth
There are many types of cracked teeth. Treatment will depend on the type, location, and severity of the crack. Common cracks include fractured cusps, split teeth, and vertical root fractures.
Why See an Endodontist
If you have signs of a cracked tooth, you should see an endodontist — a specialist in diagnosing tooth pain. Endodontists are experts in saving your natural teeth, using state-of-the-art technologies like microscopes and digital imaging to find cracks in your teeth and treat you quickly and comfortably. Your endodontist will discuss your symptoms and examine your tooth to determine your treatment options.
How Treatment Works
Treating a cracked tooth, usually with a root canal procedure, will relieve your pain and reduce the likelihood that cracks will worsen. During root canal treatment, your endodontist removes the irritated or damaged pulp and cleans, shapes, fills, and seals the root canals to keep bacteria from entering the tooth.
After your endodontist is finished, you must return to your dentist to have your tooth properly restored with a crown. That protects the tooth and is important to ensure the success of your root canal treatment.
Closing
Nothing looks, feels, or functions like your natural teeth, so talk to your endodontist about treatment options to save your cracked tooth. Protect your teeth from life stresses and make sure your smile lasts a lifetime by having regular dental check-ups.
End of transcript.
Symptoms
Symptoms of a cracked tooth are varied and may include pain when chewing, sensitivity to hot and cold food and drink, pressure sensitivity or a combination of these. Because the pain often comes and goes, it can be very difficult to recognize what is causing the problem.
Early Detection
It can sometimes even be difficult to identify exactly which tooth is causing the discomfort. That is why your dentist may refer you to an Endodontics specialist. Endodontists use surgical microscopes and other tools that can be different from a general dentist’s technology and tools.
Continuing to chew on a cracked tooth can lead to more damage as well as creating the potential for pain and infection. Even small movement of the cracked tooth pieces during chewing can cause irritation to the tooth’s pulp, which causes pain. Similarly, when the bite is released, the crack can close quickly, causing sharp pain. Over time, the tooth pulp will become damaged. As this happens, the tooth will hurt more consistently. Cracks can sometimes lead to infections in the pulp tissue and spread to the surrounding gum and bone.
Types of Cracks and Treatment
Craze Lines
Small shallow cracks, known as craze lines, are very common and do not require treatment. These lines are in the tooth’s enamel surface and do not cause pain or damage. They do not cause any concern other than aesthetic considerations.
Fractured Cusp
Another category involving a cracked tooth that may not cause pain is a fractured cusp. This is when the high-test part(s) of the tooth has a crack that may cause it to break off from the rest of the tooth. Although there may not be pain, it is best to have the tooth examined. There may be a portion of the tooth that needs to be removed to prevent further damage. As long as the fracture or break does not extend into the interior of the tooth, a root canal will most likely not be necessary.
Cracked Tooth
When the tooth crack is vertical, from the chewing services and extending close to the root, a root canal will most likely be needed to relieve pain, prevent or heal infection, and save the tooth. Once the root canal treatment is complete your dentist can restore the tooth’s shape for function and appearance.
Cracked Tooth Beyond Gumline
A vertical crack that extends into the root and below the gumline may not be treatable and may require an extraction rather than a root canal and restoration.
