Cracked Teeth

Cracked teeth demonstrate many types of symptoms, including pain when chewing, temperature sensitivity, or pain upon the release of biting pressure. It is also common for 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 may 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.

Types of Cracks

Craze lines

Tiny cracks that only affect the outer enamel of the tooth are called craze lines. These cracks are more common in adults. These types of cracks are superficial and are usually of no concern.

Fractured Cusp

When a cusp becomes weakened, a fracture may result. The cusp may break off or be removed by a dentist. A fractured cusp does not always damage the pulp, so root canal treatment is not always necessary. Your dentist will usually restore the tooth with a full crown.

Cracked Tooth

This type of crack extends from the chewing surface of the tooth and vertically migrates towards the root. In some cases, the crack may extend below the gum line, and down into the root of the tooth. Damage to the pulp is commonplace, leading to the frequent need for root canal treatment.A cracked tooth that is not treated commonly will worsen in its condition, resulting in the loss of the tooth. Therefore, early detection is essential.

Split Tooth

A split tooth is usually the result of an untreated cracked tooth. It can be identified by a crack with distinct segments. This type of tooth can never be saved intact. Yet, the position and extent of the problem will dictate whether any portion of the tooth can be saved. Sometimes, endodontic retreatment by Dr. Grote or Dr. Foreman and restoration by your dentist can be used to save a portion of the tooth.

Vertical Root Fracture

A vertical root fracture begins in the root of the tooth and extends toward the chewing surface of the tooth.Teeth with vertical root fractures can sometimes develop pain, swelling, or other symptoms, or they may be completely asymptomatic, going undetected for some time. Many times, teeth with vertical root fractures need to be treated with extraction.