Cracked Teeth
What are symptoms of cracked teeth?
Cracked teeth exhibit many different types of symptoms, including pain while chewing, pain when exposed to extremes of heat or cold, or pain when biting pressure is released. In many instances patients report that the pain comes and goes, leading them to the false conclusion that whatever their problem is only minor.
What do I do if I have cracked teeth?
If you suspect that you are suffering from cracked teeth, get to the dentist as soon as possible. The reason you are feeling pain is because the tooth surface beneath the crack is flexing. This makes the entire tooth unstable, and it can cause a large portion of the tooth to break away if it is untreated.
I have a busy schedule and cannot get to the dentist right away. What is the worst thing that can possibly happen if I delay dental treatment?You know, it never is a good idea to ask any type of doctor what the worst case scenario will be if you do nothing about your condition. We tend to be very candid because we do not want patients to have a false sense of security that can later lead to them hurting more down the line.
Delaying treatment of cracked teeth gives time for cracks to work their way down to tooth roots. Once this happens, the root dies, and a root canal will be necessary. If the crack develops into a split tooth, the entire tooth will need to be replaced. Otherwise, the tooth will need to be crowned because part of its surface has been ruptured or may have broken away.
If you act immediately, however, some cracked teeth can be repaired with cosmetic dental bonding resin. While we cannot guarantee we can do this for you, it is almost certain we will not be able to if you procrastinate coming into the office.
If the crack extends into the nerve and a root canal will become necessary. Most cracked teeth that hurt will need to be crowned. Occasionally, small cracks can be fixed with fillings.
Do cracked teeth always hurt?
No. Sometimes old cracks that run parallel to the length of teeth are painless. These surface cracks do not run very deep. Very shallow cracks of this nature are called craze lines and are not at all severe. They are part of the normal aging process and normally do not cause problems or require treatment.
The cracks that do hurt are the ones that result from biting into something that damages the tooth. Basically, anything that penetrates down into the dentin layer of the tooth is going to cause pain. This is because the dentin layer lies immediately next to the nerve center of the tooth, called the pulp chamber.
If you begin to experience constant pain, there is a good chance that the nerve is affected and that a root canal will be necessary to treat the problem. Crowning is commonly performed as a treatment for many cracked teeth, although cosmetic dentists like us are often able to repair minor cracks with cosmetic dental onlays.
Cracked teeth exhibit many different types of symptoms, including pain while chewing, pain when exposed to extremes of heat or cold, or pain when biting pressure is released. In many instances patients report that the pain comes and goes, leading them to the false conclusion that whatever their problem is only minor.
What do I do if I have cracked teeth?
If you suspect that you are suffering from cracked teeth, get to the dentist as soon as possible. The reason you are feeling pain is because the tooth surface beneath the crack is flexing. This makes the entire tooth unstable, and it can cause a large portion of the tooth to break away if it is untreated.
I have a busy schedule and cannot get to the dentist right away. What is the worst thing that can possibly happen if I delay dental treatment?You know, it never is a good idea to ask any type of doctor what the worst case scenario will be if you do nothing about your condition. We tend to be very candid because we do not want patients to have a false sense of security that can later lead to them hurting more down the line.
Delaying treatment of cracked teeth gives time for cracks to work their way down to tooth roots. Once this happens, the root dies, and a root canal will be necessary. If the crack develops into a split tooth, the entire tooth will need to be replaced. Otherwise, the tooth will need to be crowned because part of its surface has been ruptured or may have broken away.
If you act immediately, however, some cracked teeth can be repaired with cosmetic dental bonding resin. While we cannot guarantee we can do this for you, it is almost certain we will not be able to if you procrastinate coming into the office.
If the crack extends into the nerve and a root canal will become necessary. Most cracked teeth that hurt will need to be crowned. Occasionally, small cracks can be fixed with fillings.
Do cracked teeth always hurt?
No. Sometimes old cracks that run parallel to the length of teeth are painless. These surface cracks do not run very deep. Very shallow cracks of this nature are called craze lines and are not at all severe. They are part of the normal aging process and normally do not cause problems or require treatment.
The cracks that do hurt are the ones that result from biting into something that damages the tooth. Basically, anything that penetrates down into the dentin layer of the tooth is going to cause pain. This is because the dentin layer lies immediately next to the nerve center of the tooth, called the pulp chamber.
If you begin to experience constant pain, there is a good chance that the nerve is affected and that a root canal will be necessary to treat the problem. Crowning is commonly performed as a treatment for many cracked teeth, although cosmetic dentists like us are often able to repair minor cracks with cosmetic dental onlays.
Labels: cracked teeth, craze lines, dental crowns, symptomatic cracks
posted by Dental Expert at
5:04 PM
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