What is Cracked Tooth?
Tooth fracture is break or crack in the tooth. Depending upon the extent and place of fracture symptoms and treatment will differ.
Causes of a cracked tooth
- Pressure from teeth grinding.
- Chewing or biting hard foods like ice, nuts, or hard candy.
- Blows to the mouth such as accident, sports injury and fall.
- Abrupt changes in temperature in the mouth — for instance, from eat something extremely hot and then trying to cool your mouth with ice water.
- Age – with most teeth cracks occurring in people over 50.
- Large fillings, due to which the integrity of the tooth is lost and leads to crack or fracture.
How to identify a cracked tooth?
Mostly tooth will be Asymptomatic, if present the common once are
- Pain when chewing or biting – Specific pain when you release the bite.
- Sensitivity to heat, cold, or sweetness.
- Pain that comes and goes – rarely continuous.
- Swelling of the gum around the affected tooth.
Types of cracked teeth and treatment options
- Craze lines: These are small cracks in the enamel (the outer layer of teeth), mostly age related. They cause no pain and don’t require any treatment.
- Fractured cusp: loss of cusp or edge of the tooth. Depending on the fracture the tooth has to be restored.
- Cracks that extend to the gum line: A tooth that has a crack which extends till the gum with required amount of tooth structure can be saved by performing RCT followed post and core with crown.
- Cracks that extend into the gum line: A tooth that has a crack which extends into the gum has to be removed. It can be replaced with bridge or an implant with crown.
- Vertical root fracture. This type of crack begins below the gum line and travels upward. Mostly seen in root canal treated tooth, line of treatment is mostly removal of tooth followed by bridge or implant with crown.
How to prevent tooth fracture?
- Proper oral hygiene maintenance.
- Proper brushing technique and Fluoridated tooth paste– 2/day.
- Flossing regularly.
- Avoid chewing on hard foods.
- Always wear a mouth guard if you play contact sports
- Wear a mouth guard while you sleep if you grind your teeth.
- Regular dental visits –once in every 6 months.