Dental Questions: What can I do if I have a cracked tooth?

Cracked teeth are notoriously painful and difficult to diagnose. They typically present as an ache when releasing your jaw from biting on something hard. The pressure of opening and closing the crack puts stress on the cells deep within the teeth and creates this painful sensation. You may also experience increased sensitivity to cold or a strange pushing or pinching sensation in your gums. 

If you think you have a cracked tooth, your first step is to schedule an emergency dental appointment. Here, X-rays, special lights and probes are used to identify the fracture and determine where it goes. Most often it is impossible to see the actual depth of the crack and the teeth must be treated based on their symptoms. Lowering the height of the tooth (so that the opposing tooth no longer puts pressure on it) is a typical first step. From there, a dentist may use a crown to provide extra coverage to the tooth or refer to an endodontist to take a CT scan or perform a root canal. 

If the crack goes down the length of the root and extends to one of the canals, the tooth is likely not savable. In these instances, we usually suggest an extraction to relieve pain and to prepare for an implant in the near future. For more information on emergency appointments, cracked teeth and dental pain, please give our office a call!

Helpful Infographic on Cracked Teeth

A cracked tooth can be anything from a minor inconvenience to a major annoyance. Many times, small cracks begin showing painful symptoms only after weeks or months of continuous pressure  and abuse. Our friends at the Spear Institute put together this helpful guide on what to do and what to expect when you have a cracked tooth. As with most things in dentistry, the key is early detection and intervention. The sooner we can work on repairing a dental problem, the more likely the tooth can be saved. Take a look!

Broken Teeth

Here you can see a maxillary first premolar fractured between its two cusps. Fractures commonly occur here due to natural stress points in the enamel and dentin. This tooth was fractured down into the root space and needed to be extracted. 

Like any hard object, enamel tends to crack or fracture when subjected to a large amount of force. Hence, broken teeth are a very common source of dental pain. Symptoms can range from mild discomfort to pain when chewing or a constant radiating soreness. They are sometimes preceded by an audible "crack" or "pop" while chewing a hard object. No matter your current state, a cracked tooth needs to be addressed by a dentist before the symptoms will subside.

One of the trickiest parts of treating cracked teeth is that they are difficult to see. Traditional X-Rays frequently miss cracks, as they are trying to represent your three dimensional tooth in a 2-D image. Visual inspection will reveal some cracks, particularly vertical fractures through the crowns. However, smaller crack and cracks in the root area are impossible to spot with the naked eye. The most reliable way to see if a tooth has broken is by imaging with a Cone Beam CT scanner. Here, a specialist (often times an endodontist or oral surgeon) will take a 3D image of your tooth, revealing any cracks or defects throughout its structure. 

Once a tooth is confirmed as cracked, it will typically need to be extracted. Large splits in enamel running into root structure are impossible to repair or remineralize. Still, some shallower cracks in ideal locations can be treated with a crown and/or root canal. Here, the actual cracked portion of the tooth is removed, preventing the possibility of the defect propagating and getting bigger. However, it is important to note that these conditions are rarely met and extraction is the most typical course of treatment for a broken tooth. 

The most important thing to remember is don't wait and suffer in pain! Especially if you have pain while chewing or feel your teeth "flex" or "shift" when you bite down, there is a good chance you cracked your tooth. This discomfort will not resolve on its own; in fact there is a good chance it will worsen with time. If you have any type of dental discomfort, call our office as soon as possible. We can help you alleviate pain, reach a proper diagnosis and plan for the best course of action for getting your mouth back to normal.