Teeth may crack when subjected to the stress of
chewing food, ice, or by biting on an unexpected hard object.
- Not all fractures are caused by biting on something hard. Frequently, soft gooey foods cause teeth to fracture due to the hydraulic forces of the food oozing between the teeth on chewing.
- Teeth with or without restorations may exhibit this problem, but teeth restored with typical silver-alloy restorations are most susceptible.
- Symptoms and Signs of Cracked Teeth (some or all of the following):
- pain while chewing;
- pain upon cold air application;
- unsolicited pain (usually leakage of sugar into a tooth crack);
Treatment of Cracked Teeth:
- Simple Crack. The majority of cracked teeth—about 9 out of every 10—can be treated by placement of a simple crown (cap) on the tooth.
- With our CEREC one visit crowns, the pain usually leaves immediately after the treatment.
- Complex Crack. Occasionally - about 1 in 10 - a crack is pronounced or severe enough to access the pulp (nerve) of the tooth.
- If pain persists after placement of the crown, the original crack may have extended into the pulp of the affected tooth. To verify, please call us. The tooth may require endodontics (root canal therapy). This may or may not require replacing the crown. If it’s been a recently placed crown related to the cracked tooth, there will be no charge for replacement if it’s deemed necessary.
|
