3 Important Things to Know About Cracked Teeth

Dentist Articles

If something happened that suddenly left one of your teeth in pain, there is a chance the event may have caused your tooth to crack. Cracks in teeth are serious issues that require treatment from a dentist quickly. Here are several things you should understand if you think you may have a cracked tooth.

How to Know if Your Tooth Is Cracked

There are times when cracks in teeth are very obvious and easy to see simply by looking at the teeth, but there are also times when cracks are very small and are impossible to see. If a tooth is cracked, you may be experiencing a few common symptoms, though, and these can include the following:

• Very sharp pain, especially when you bite down on something with this particular tooth
• Your mouth hurts when you eat or drink, especially when foods and beverages are really hot or cold
• You are experiencing random pain in your mouth for no obvious reason

These are three of the most common symptoms that can appear from a cracked tooth. If you are experiencing these symptoms or others, it's important for you to visit a dentist quickly.

How a Cracked Tooth Can Lead to Other Issues

Teeth are strong but cracks can happen, and when they do they need to be fixed. When a crack is left unaddressed and untreated, it can lead to major problems in your mouth. Cracks allow bacteria to seep inside teeth, and this can lead to infections. Each tooth you have contains roots, which contain nerves. These nerves help you feel cold and hot things in your mouth. If bacteria reaches the nerves, an infection can form. This can lead to extreme pain, and it may require getting a root canal to fix the problem. If you do not receive treatment for this, you could risk losing the tooth.

How Your Dentist Can Fix It

The first thing the dentist will do is look at the tooth and take X-rays. X-rays are very helpful for seeing the depth and severity of the issue, and the X-rays will help the dentist determine what the best treatment would be for the tooth. Here are the most common ways cracked teeth are fixed:

• A standard filling—If the crack is not really deep or long, and if the roots of the tooth look healthy, putting in a filling can often fix the problem. The filling material would fill in the crack, and this would protect the tooth from further problems. Fillings do wear out, though, so your dentist will want you to keep all regularly scheduled visits to keep an eye on the tooth.
• A dental crown—Another way a cracked tooth can be fixed is with a dental crown. For this to occur, the dentist may remove some of the outer part of the tooth. Next, the dentist would create a custom-made dental crown to fit over the tooth. Dental crowns are very durable, and they are a great way to save damaged teeth.

If neither of these options will work for the tooth, it may need to be extracted. Dentists will not recommend extracting a tooth unless they cannot repair it. If your tooth must be extracted, the dentist will want to replace it so there is not a gap there. Replacing it will involve getting either a dental implant or a bridge. If you seek treatment quickly for your cracked tooth, there is a better chance the dentist will be able to save it.

Tooth problems can happen to anyone at any time, but you can always call a dentist for help. To learn more, contact a local dentist today and click this link.

19 December 2016