A cracked tooth can happen due to a variety of reasons. From hard foods to clenching your teeth in your sleep, to an accident on or off the sports field.
They can also happen due to something as mundane as eating something very hot and trying to cool it down with ice water or with age, many cracks start to appear in people’s teeth that are over 50 years old. Having a cracked tooth can lead to a whole host of problems and it is never a good idea to live with one for too long.
Problems with Cracked Teeth
Cracked teeth can exhibit one or all of the following symptoms. Pain when chewing or biting, sensitivity to heat, cold, or sweetness, pain that comes and goes, but is rarely continuous, and/or swelling of the gum around the affected tooth. There are also many kinds of cracked teeth from craze lines that produce no pain to cracks that extend into the gum line and would require a tooth extraction.
The problems associated with cracked teeth are generally pain and discomfort, but can quickly lead to an infection. Symptoms of infection include bad breath, fever, tender glands in the neck, pain when chewing, sensitivity to heat or cold, and swollen gums. If you experience any of these it is best to see a dentist immediately.
How to Fix
Cracked teeth can be fixed in a variety of ways. Bonding is the cheapest and easiest where the dentist uses a type of plastic to fill the crack. Another is a dental crown that is made from porcelain or ceramic. Although more expensive than bonding with proper care a crown can last the rest of your life. If the crack is very extensive it may require a root canal which removes some of the infected pulp and helps to restore the tooth. In the event, the tooth is unsavable extraction would be the last resort for a fix.
Your dental health is important to us! If you have a cracked tooth or suspect that you may have one call us today. We would like to schedule a consultation where we can discuss options for fixing the tooth or teeth and how to properly maintain them after.