A cracked tooth can start as something minor, but then become something more critical as time passes by without proper treatment from a dental specialist. Once aware of a crack, it is ideal to notify and schedule an appointment with that specialist as soon as possible. In some cases, people are not too familiar with what the symptoms of a cracked tooth can look and feel like.

In general, a cracked tooth occurs when the pressure on a tooth is too great, causing a minor to major crack in the tooth’s structure. In some cases, some cracks are less concerning than others, but all need to be addressed as soon as possible to avoid more cracks or making the original crack worse.

How to know if your tooth is cracked

A cracked tooth exposes certain parts of your teeth, causing sensitivity to temperatures or pressure on the teeth. A few ideal ways to know if you are experiencing symptoms of cracked teeth can be described as follows:

1. Sensitivity to hot or cold
2. Pain that comes and goes
3. Pain when biting down on the tooth
4. Bad breath, also known as halitosis, can start to happen from the cracks due to the buildup of bacteria
5. Swelling around the tooth where the crack is can be a sign, but it can also be a sign that the internal part of the tooth may be infected due to the crack.
6. A fever starts to form due to the tooth becoming infected from the inside

What are some ways to crack your tooth?

There are a good number of ways to get a cracked tooth:

1. Exposure to hot and cold temperatures rapidly can cause the teeth to crack
2. Eating or drinking something cold and following it up by consuming something hot right away
3. Teeth naturally realign due to shifting or growing wisdom teeth
4. The pressure from the teeth shifting and pushing on each other can cause cracks in between the teeth where they push together.
5. Old age causes the body to not produce the proteins we need to keep healthy and to keep our bones from going brittle.
6. A hard impact directly to the face from falling or getting hit can crack a tooth
7. Grinding the teeth at night without a mouthguard can wear out the teeth and eventually crack them from all the pressure.
8. In some cases, dental implants can cause cracks because if the fillings or implants were placed incorrectly, or if the body denies them, then cracks can form around those implant sites.

What can my dentist do to fix these cracks?

The dental specialist would examine the mouth physically and, on an X-Ray, to check for cracks and possible infections, if any. Once aware of the cracks, they can either start with dental bonding of the tooth. In more serious cases, a root canal may be performed, or a complete extraction of the tooth if it becomes unsavable and dangerous to keep. It would then be replaced with a dental implant so that the wound can heal up to prevent further infection.

Related Article: Cracked Teeth & Extractions