CRACKED TOOTH

Overview

A crack can occur at any part of your tooth. Cracks may differ in depth ( how deeply it penetrates the tooth structure) and length, (how extensive it is), and where it starts. Cracks can be:

• craze lines – superficial tiny cracks which occur within the enamel, which do not cause symptoms and need no treatment
• fracture of a cusp – when part of the chewing surface of a tooth breaks off completely
• cracked tooth – where a crack extends from the biting surfaces to varying depths down the tooth. The crack does not separate the tooth into two segments
• split tooth – the tooth is separated by the crack into two distinct segments
• vertical root fracture – a crack which originates from the root and extends to varying lengths towards the crown.

Fractured cusp	Cracked tooth	Split Tooth

Causes of Cracked Tooth
A tooth may crack when it is subjected to stress forces such as biting on hard food, or habits such as grinding of teeth.

• erractic pain on chewing, and on release of biting pressure
• sensitivity on eating cold and hot food
• vague discomfort which is hard to trace to a particular tooth

Treatment
Treatment of a cracked tooth depends on the extent, type and location of the crack.
Badly cracked teeth may need extraction. If we suspect you have a cracked tooth we will

• take radiographs
• localize the tooth, and examine it visually, sometimes through an operating microscope
• if the tooth has a filling, we may remove the filling to examine the tooth better
• splint the tooth with a metal band to prevent further cracks
• institute root canal treatment, if the crack has penetrated into the pulp
• restore the tooth with a full crown for maximum protection, but this does not guarantee success in all cases

Prevention
You can minimize the risk of developing a cracked tooth by

• avoiding chewing on hard food or objects such as ice, hard nuts, and bones
• avoiding habits such as clenching or grinding your teeth
• wearing a mouth guard when playing contact sports
• wearing a night guard if you grind your teeth at night

Commonly asked question on cracked tooth

Will my tooth completely heal?
Unlike a broken bone, the fracture in a cracked tooth will not heal.
Treatement will relieve pain and reduce the likelihood of the crack worsening.
In spite of treatment, some cracks may continue to progress and result in loss of the tooth.