Cracked Teeth

Due to advances in dental care, people are keeping their teeth longer. The downside to this is that your teeth are exposed to certain habits like clenching, grinding or chewing on hard objects and over time this can contribute to the formation of cracks in your teeth. The symptoms of cracked teeth can vary greatly but many patients experience pain when chewing or sensitivity to hot and cold. For many patients with cracked teeth the pain can be erratic which can cause difficulty in finding which tooth is the problem.

The Structure of your tooth

Your tooth is made up of layers. The outer layer is called the enamel and the hard inner layer is known as dentin. The dentin surrounds the soft tissue known as the pulp which contains nerves, blood vessels and cells. If your teeth become cracked chewing may cause movement which irritates the pulp. Due to the pressure which is released as you bite the crack can close quickly which can often cause a sharp pain. If the irritation of the pulp continues, it may become so damaged that it will be unable to recover. This can cause several problems and the pain may go from sporadic to constant very quickly. Excessive cracking may prompt an infection of the pulp tissue and this can easily spread to the nearby bone and gum tissue.

Treatment

There's a number of different kinds of cracked tooth. Which treatment option will be used largely depends on what type of crack you have, where it's located and the severity of the crack.

Craze Lines - These are very small cracks which only affect the enamel. This type of crack is very common in adults but cause no pain and are very shallow.

Fractured Cusp - The cusp is the pointed section of the chewing surface and if it weakens a fracture may occur. The cusp may break off of its own accord or need removing by your dentist. After removal the pain usually vanishes and a damaged cusp is unlikely to cause any harm to the pulp. It's normal to have a replacement crown issued by your dentist.

Cracked tooth - This sort of crack reaches from the outer surface of your tooth right down to the root. This type of crack often causes damage to the pulp due to its location and root canal treatment is often called for. Following this your dentist will then use a crown to restore your tooth and protect it. In some cases the crack can reach below your gingival tissue line which may prompt an extraction.

Split Tooth - Split teeth occur if a cracked tooth is left untreated. Dentists aren't able to save a split tooth and the severity of the crack will indicate whether or not any part of the tooth can be saved. If some of the tooth can be salvaged your dentist will usually opt for a crown or similar restoration.

Vertical root fracture - This type of cracks begin in the root of the tooth and reach out to the outer layers. Vertical root fractures often go unnoticed as they display minimal symptoms and usually aren't discovered until the surrounding bone or tissues become infected. Depending on the severity of the crack, treatment may involve extracting the tooth or saving a part of the tooth through removing the cracked root.

Prevention

There's a number of steps you can take to decrease the risk of cracking your teeth. It's important to avoid chewing on hard objects like ice or pens. Similarly if you clench or grind your teeth you should consult your dentist as this can often lead to cracks. To protect your teeth against trauma, wear a mouthguard or sports mask when playing contact sports.