What Are Cracked Teeth?
Cracked teeth can bring serious pain, and what looks like minor damage can actually be something major. When a tooth is cracked, the damage runs from the top of the biting surface right down to the root. And even though the tooth may not be broken in half, there’s most likely to be damage to the tooth’s soft inner tissue.
Teeth crack for a number of reasons. Usually, teeth crack if the overall structure is compromised in some way. Extreme teeth grinding, large fillings that have taken away a majority of the tooth’s structure, trauma to the tooth or jaw, extreme changes in mouth temperature, biting down on something hard, and gum disease all cause weakening and damage to a tooth.
Symptoms Of Cracked Teeth
If your tooth is cracked, then chances are you have pain when you eat or bite down onto the tooth. The simple act of biting and chewing places pressure on the tooth that causes the structure of the crack to flex. Pain is felt when the pressure that is exerted onto the tooth is released. You may also have some sensitivity to temperature and sweetness but have no sign of decay upon dental examination.
Treatment
It’s important to have a cracked tooth repaired immediately in order to avoid more severe damage. Cracked teeth that aren’t treated lead to loss of the tooth, infection in the nerve that requires a root canal, or an infection in the area.
Cracked teeth can be fixed in a number of ways that include:
- Crowns
- Dental Veneers
- Building up of worn teeth
- Simple tooth contouring for minor chips/cracks
Healing and Prevention
Once cracked, a tooth cannot heal like other parts of the body. Unfortunately, even with treatment, the crack could still become worse over time. Treatment is still important, however, because a cracked tooth that is successfully repaired can last for many years. In order to prevent further teeth from cracking, see your dentist to be fitted for a custom-made mouthguard or night guard, and also avoid biting down on extremely hard foods or objects.
Don’t let a cracked tooth stop you from smiling, reach out to the caring and expert team at Divine Dental Care today to fix that tooth and give you a reason to smile again.