If you have chipped or cracked a tooth, then you may experience pain while chewing as well as sensitivity to temperature. It is important to receive treatment as soon as possible in order to prevent the crack from growing and exposing your inner tooth tissues (pulp) to bacteria. Some of the most common dental cracks and their treatments include the following:
- Craze Lines: These are tiny fractures on your tooth enamel, and they usually do not cause problems.
- Fractured Cusp: If the cusp (pointed part of the tooth) breaks off, it usually does not harm your dental health. However, the tooth can be restored and protected with a dental filling or crown.
- Cracked Tooth: This crack begins in the chewing surface of the tooth and reaches towards the roots. If it extends into the pulp tissue, then we may need to perform a root canal treatment. If it extends below the gum line, then the tooth cannot be repaired and may require extraction.
- Split Tooth: If a cracked tooth isn’t treated, then it can break into pieces. Depending on where it splits off, we may be able to repair the tooth with root canal treatment.
- Vertical Root Fracture: This occurs when the crack begins in the tooth root. Extraction is usually necessary unless we can remove the root through endodontic surgery (apicoectomy).
Please call us if you would like to learn more about our cracked tooth treatment.