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Cracked teeth demonstrate many types of symptoms, including pain when chewing, temperature sensitivities, or even the release of biting pressure. It is also common for tooth pain to come and go, making it difficult to diagnose the cause of discomfort.
Chewing can cause movement of the cracked pieces of your tooth, and the pulp within the tooth becomes irritated. At the same time, when biting pressure is released, the crack can close quickly, resulting in sharp pain. Eventually, the pulp will become damaged and tooth will consistently hurt, even when you are not chewing. It is possible that cracks can lead to infection of the pulp tissue, which can spread to the bone and gum surrounding the problematic tooth.
These are tiny cracks that only affect the outer enamel of the tooth. These cracks are more common in adults. These types of cracks are shallow, cause no pain and are of no concern beyond appearance.
When a cusp becomes weakened, a fracture may result. The cusp may break off or be removed by a dentist. A fractured cusp rarely damages the pulp, so root canal is seldom needed. Your dentist will usually restore the tooth with a full crown.
This type of crack extends from the chewing surface of the tooth and vertically towards the root. A cracked tooth is not completely separated into two segments. Due to the position of the crack, pulp damage is very common. Early diagnosis and treatment are essential when trying to save teeth. A cracked tooth that is not treated will progressively worsen, eventually resulting in the loss of the tooth.
Root canal treatment is frequently needed to treat the injured pulp. After the root canal is completed your dentist will restore your tooth with a crown to bind and protect the cracked tooth.
If the crack extends below the gumline extraction would be recommended.
A split tooth is usually the result of an untreated cracked tooth. It can be identified by a crack with distinct segments that can be separated. If possible, the cracked part of the tooth is removed and the tooth is then restored with a filling or crown. However, if the crack extends below the bone, the tooth will need to be extracted since these types of cracks cannot be repaired.
A vertical root fracture begins at the root and extends towards the chewing surface of the tooth. Unfortunately, they show minimal symptoms and may go unnoticed. Vertical root fractures are often discovered when the surrounding bone and gum become infected. Treatment typically involves extraction however, endodontic surgery is sometimes appropriate if a portion of the tooth can be saved by removal of the fracture root.