Cracked Tooth Treatments

A cracked tooth might be the result of either biting or chewing hard foods, clenching or grinding your teeth, or even from natural aging. It is a frequent and common occurrence and a leading cause of tooth loss.

Some Causes of a Cracked Tooth

A cracked tooth can happen from a variety of issues:

  1. The increased pressure from the grinding of teeth.
  2. Larger fillings, which weaken the integrity of the tooth.
  3. Biting or chewing hard objects and foods.
  4. A blow or hit to your mouth, such as a sporting injury, an accident, or a fall.
  5. Temperature fluctuates in your mouth, from hot to ice cold.
  6. Natural aging, with a cracked tooth happening often over the age of fifty.

Types of a Cracked Tooth

Cracks will appear as:

  1. Craze lines- Tiny cracks in just the enamel of the tooth. They are not painful and need no treatment.
  2. Fractured cusp- A crack that occurs around a dental filling. It does not affect the pulp of the tooth, which is the soft living tissue in the center of the tooth, and most often does not cause pain.
  3. Cracks that extend into the gum line- A tooth with a vertical crack that does not reach the gum line is worth saving. If the crack proceeds beneath the gum line, the tooth might need to be extracted.
  4. Split tooth- A crack that travels below the gum line. It may be separated into two parts. With this intense crack, it might be difficult to save the tooth.
  5. Vertical root fracture- The crack begins below the gum line and proceeds upward. It often does not produce symptoms until an infection develops.

Treatment for a Cracked Tooth

Your best treatment will be determined by the location of the crack, the size, any symptoms, and whether the crack goes below the gum line. Based on these factors, treatments are usually one of the following:

  1. Bonding- With this treatment, your dentist simply uses resin to fill the crack, restoring the function and the aesthetic appearance of the tooth.
  2. Crown- A dental crown is a common restoration fabricated in porcelain or ceramic. It fits over the damaged tooth like a custom cap. Your dentist first removes a thin layer of enamel to allow room for the crown. Next, an impression is made of the tooth, a color is chosen to match your natural teeth, and a dental lab custom personalizes the crown. When the crown restoration is completed, your dentist glues it to the cracked tooth. A crown will last a lifetime if you care for it properly.
  3. Root canal- If a crack reaches the pulp, your dentist might recommend a root canal to both remove the damaged soft pulp and restore structural integrity to the tooth. This procedure will prevent the tooth from becoming infected and, therefore, weakening even more.
  4. Extraction- If the structural integrity of the tooth, the nerves, or roots is damaged, then extracting the tooth may be your last but best option.
  5. No treatment- You might have small hairline cracks in just the surface enamel. If these cracks do not affect the aesthetics of your healthy smile and are not painful, your dentist might suggest leaving them alone.

If you believe you could have a cracked tooth, make an appointment soon to visit your dentist.

Related Article: Symptoms of Cracked Tooth