There are a variety of situations in life that can cause a tooth to crack and when it does, a sharp pain might surge through your tooth and disappear leaving you to think everything is okay except that any pressure in that area of your mouth causes discomfort. The reason for this is that when you chew or bite down on the tooth, the cracked piece of tooth moves or the crack is widened causing pain and discomfort. The symptoms of a cracked tooth can range from pain when biting or chewing to sensitivity to hot and cold temperatures or increased movement of a particular tooth.

Cracked teeth (also known as fractured teeth) are a rather common experience especially as people get older and still have their natural teeth or if teeth have been weakened by decay and then repaired. Some of the situations that can cause a crack in a tooth are:

– Natural wear and tear over time.
– A blow or trauma to the mouth.
– Grinding and clenching of the teeth either during sleep or when awake.
– Chewing on hard pieces of candy, nuts or ice.
– Stress on a tooth.
– Uneven pressure from chewing.
– A tooth weakened from decay or one that has a large filling.
– Extensive tooth decay that has not been treated.
– Teeth that are brittle.

Sometimes a fractured tooth can be hard to identify by sight alone. A dentist will often need to perform a biting test with an instrument that rests on each individual tooth. Once the tooth is identified the dentist will then use a sharp dental instrument known as “an explorer” to probe the tooth to find the crack and then to feel around the gum area to check for irregularities that may exist below the gum line.

There are varying degrees of fractures that can happen in a tooth and the treatment will depend largely on the crack and where in the tooth it appears.

– Craze lines are fractures that only impact a tooth’s enamel or outer covering. The only treatment that is required is mostly cosmetic and can be done by polishing the tooth.

– Small fractures that don’t go beyond the enamel, yet can’t be repaired with polishing may need a filling or can be covered with a dental veneer for aesthetic purposes.

– Cracks in the chewing surfaces that don’t extend into the pulp or center of a tooth are usually repaired with a filling.

– When a fracture extends into the pulp of the tooth a root canal is often necessary and the tooth is capped with a crown.

– A fracture that actually splits the tooth in two can sometimes be treated with a root canal and crown, but most often the tooth has to be removed and replaced.

– If a crack extends into the root of the tooth, whether or not it can be saved will depend on the tooth root itself.

Once the fractured tooth is identified and the crack has been examined and explored as to its extent, the dentist will determine the best way to secure the structure of the tooth and strengthen it since the crack will never completely heal. But the most important thing to understand about a cracked tooth is that it should not be ignored because it can develop into much more serious problems.

Any time pain or sensitivity is experienced from teeth or gums, a visit to the dentist is imperative. Pain doesn’t happen without a reason and ignoring it and hoping it will go away will just worsen the consequences. A cracked tooth is definitely something that has to be taken care of, and the sooner the better.

Author Bio: After graduating as a DMD in 1988 Dr. Vito Clarizio started his own practice in Whitestone, NY and has been in private practice here for over 20 years. He is loved by both his patients and his staff. His core staff has been with him since the beginning of the practice. http://whitestonegentledentist.com

Category: Medicines and Remedies
Keywords: cracked tooth, repair cracked tooth, cracked teeth, fractured tooth, fix cracked tooth