Cracked Teeth
Cracked teeth demonstrate many types of symptoms, including pain
when chewing, temperature sensitivities, or even the release of biting
pressure. It is also common for pain to come and go, making it difficult to
diagnose the cause of discomfort.
Chewing can cause movement of the cracked pieces of your tooth,
and the pulp within the tooth becomes irritated. At the same time, when biting
pressure is released, the crack can close quickly, resulting in sharp pain.
Eventually, the pulp will become damaged and tooth will consistently hurt, even
when you are not chewing. It is possible that cracks can lead to infection of
the pulp tissue, which can spread to the bone and gum surrounding the
problematic tooth.
Types of
Cracks
Craze lines
These are tiny cracks that only affect the outer enamel of the
tooth. These cracks are more common in adults. These types of cracks are
superficial and are usually of no concern.
Fractured Cusp
When a cusp becomes weakened, a fracture may result. The cusp
may break off or be removed by a dentist. A fractured cusp rarely damages the
pulp, so root canal is not necessary. Your dentist will usually restore the
tooth with a full crown.
Cracked tooth
This type of crack extends from the chewing surface of the tooth
and vertically migrates towards the root. In some cases, the crack may extend
below the gum line. It is possible for the crack to extend further into the
root. Damage to the pulp is commonplace. In this case, root canal treatment is
usually necessary. A cracked tooth that is not treated will worsen, resulting
in the loss of the tooth. Therefore, early detection is essential.
Split tooth
A split tooth is usually the result of an untreated cracked
tooth. It can be identified by a crack with distinct segments. This type of
tooth can never be saved intact. Yet, the position and extent of the problem
will dictate whether any portion of the tooth can be saved. Sometimes,
endodontic retreatment by the doctors and restoration by your dentist can be
used to save a portion of the tooth.
Vertical Root Fracture
A vertical root fracture begins at the root and extends towards
the chewing surface of the tooth. Unfortunately, they show minimal symptoms and
may go unnoticed. Treatment involves endodontic surgery if a portion of the
tooth can be saved by removal of the fractured root. Otherwise the tooth will
have to be extracted.
