What could have caused my tooth to crack?
There are many factors that could have caused your tooth to crack without you even realizing it. Clenching, grinding and unnatural chewing motions can place abnormal stresses on a tooth, leading to a crack. Teeth with large fillings, along with teeth that have lost significant amounts of tooth structure due to aging or wear, are more susceptible to cracking.
Even subjecting tooth enamel to extreme variations in temperature, such as drinking hot tea and then sipping ice water, can cause teeth to crack. Of course, traumatic accidents and biting into hard objects or foods are obvious causes of tooth distress.
Cracked tooth syndrome
How do you know when your tooth has cracked?
Many times the crack is not detectable on an x-ray, as it may be small and appear as a hairline fracture running vertically along with the tooth. The best way to detect a crack is from your symptoms. If whenever you bite down on the right or left side of your mouth you feel a sharp pain, you may be in the presence of a cracked tooth syndrome which appears most often on molars..
If you have sensitivity to cold, heat, air, sweet, sour, or sticky foods, take note of where it is coming from so that you may be able to help your dentist diagnose the origin of your problem. Cracked teeth usually hurt more upon the release of your bite than from the pressure of biting itself.
Cracked tooth pain
Don’t be alarmed just because your tooth may be sensitive. Not all sensitivity comes from a cracked tooth, and not all cracked teeth are causes for concern. Tiny cracks are often encountered, and usually do not require any dental treatment. Other times, bonding, onlays, veneers, and dental crowns may be necessary to restore a cracked tooth. A tooth that is found to be severely cracked may require root canal therapy or even an extraction. Schedule an appointment with your dentist so that together you can diagnose the origin of your discomfort, and determine which treatment modality will best serve your condition.
Cracked tooth repair
How to fix a cracked tooth naturally?
Cracks in the teeth that reach the tooth pulp and damage it can sometimes be repaired with a root canal and protected from further damage with a crown. If the crack extends below the gum line, however, the tooth will typically need to be extracted and cannot be treated with root canal therapy.
If you notice a cracked tooth, it’s important to take action right away. See your dentist immediately for possible cracked teeth repair to prevent additional damage to the tooth and to increase the chances of saving your natural tooth.