Cracked Teeth
If you’ve ever suffered from a cracked tooth, you know that it cannot only cause pain, but that it is unsightly as well. There are a multitude of reasons why a tooth might crack, including impact from whatever you are eating, or from a flying baseball. Simply put, teeth crack for the same reason that bones do: because they are under stress!
If you’ve noticed any of the following, you might be suffering from a cracked tooth:
- A recent sensitivity to hot or cold foods
- Pain in the tooth without any other reason like a cavity or gum disease
- Experiencing pain while chewing food or even gum
- A lack of evidence that there is a problem, even with an x-ray
Treatment of a cracked tooth depends on the severity of the crack. A simple crack, also known as a non-complex crack, can be treated with a crown or a cap 90% of the time. When your temporary crown is put on the tooth, you will almost instantly notice that your symptoms and sensitivities have almost diminished entirely. Once the permanent crown is placed, you should expect a full recovery.
Alternately, you may have a complex crack, which accounts for 10% of all tooth cracks. This kind of a crack comes with intense pain, mostly because the crack has gone down to the nerve of the tooth. There are cases in which the pain does not diminish upon placement of the temporary crown, in which case there might be a problem with the nerve itself. If this occurs, you will need to contact us so that we can perform a root canal prior to placing the permanent crown.
