Five ways your tooth can get cracked

Cracked tooth syndrome occurs when a tooth has a crack that’s too small to show up on X-rays, or is under the gum and challenging to identify. The most common occurrence is on molars.  A common cause of toothache is a broken tooth. Chewing on hard foods like nuts, crackers and hard candies can cause toothache. There are cases where the severity of tooth fracture is extreme, to the extent that the dentist will have to extract the whole tooth.

Cause of cracked teeth:

It is difficult to determine the exact cause of cracked tooth syndrome. It can happen from consumption of hard foods or teeth misalignments such as

• Teeth that has been subjected to root canal treatment
• Teeth with large fillings
• The manner in which teeth are arranged. If there is excessive pressure applied on one tooth, it is prone to crack
• Individuals who grind their teeth (Bruxism)

Ways in which a tooth can crack-

1. Split tooth:

It is important to get a dental check-up when you have a cracked tooth, because if the crack is not treated it spreads to other parts of the tooth, till it weakens and splits. The process when a cracked tooth becomes severely affected and splits is called split tooth. The affected person experiences great pain. Depending on the extent of cracks, dentists can save the unaffected part.

2. Cracked tooth:

A cracked tooth is caused by the application of excessive pressure on the tooth; the crack first occurs at chewing surface and then spreads towards the root. In most cases the pulp is damaged and root canal treatment is needed. Later on a dental crown is placed on the tooth.

3. Craze lines:

Craze lines are tiny lines present on teeth enamel, and they don’t go away easily and don’t harm the teeth. It happens when we apply a lot of strain on the teeth. For example, excess chewing, teeth grinding and nail biting can cause craze lines.

4. Fractured cusp:

A fractured cusp occurs when the cusp portion (the outer biting surface of tooth) is weakened, and it does not usually damage the pulp. Dentist will replace the affected tooth with a full crown.

5. Vertical root fracture:

When there is a crack in the middle of the tooth starting from root towards the surface, the condition is called vertical root fracture. Dentist will perform an endodontic surgery to save the affected tooth.  In most cases an extraction is required.

For general dentsitry services,  visit Green Meadow Dental at 3579 B Berlin Turnpike, Newington, CT 06111 (860)-865-0056. Families from Southington find the easy drive to Newington well worthwhile because or our expertise and modern facilities, our friendly dental team and the relaxing disposition of Dr. Mukund. We also service patients from surrounding areas including Portland, Rocky Hill and East Berlin.