A cracked tooth is among the most common dental problems people face these days. It can result from biting hard food, facial injury, or any other reason. If you have a cracked tooth, it is essential to get the proper treatment before it produces adverse effects on your oral health.
Here we are emphasizing the comprehensive details about cracked or chipped teeth; causes, symptoms, types, and treatment.
Let’s explore the details together!
Primary causes of a cracked tooth
The primary reason for the chipped tooth may vary from person to person. However, here are the most common causes that form a crack on teeth:
- Physical injury
- Crunching down too hard on a piece of food
- Excessive grinding of the teeth
- Untreated tooth decays can cause a tooth to become fragile and break
- Old or large fillings, where the tooth can become brittle over a period of time
You have to understand the primary causes of cracked teeth. Now let’s understand how to determine the broken tooth. If you get a cracked tooth, it may indicate certain signs and symptoms. Watch for the symptoms to get appropriate treatment to reduce the pain or swelling.
Symptoms of a cracked tooth
Not all cracked tooth will unfold symptoms, but when it does, common ones incorporate:
- Pain while chewing or biting, particularly when you release the bite
- Swelling of the gum nearby the affected tooth
- Tooth sensitivity to heat, cold, or sweetness
- Pain that comes and goes but is unusually constant
When you want to get appropriate treatment for a cracked tooth, it is vital to understand the common types of the cracked tooth.
Types of cracked teeth
- Fractured tooth. – This sort of crack usually happens around a dental filling. It generally doesn’t harm the pulp of the tooth (the soft center of the tooth with nerves, blood vessels, and connective tissue), and as a result, it does not cause much pain.
- Craze lines – these are tiny-small cracks in the enamel (the outermost layer) of teeth. They do not cause any pain, and generally, they do not require intense treatment.
- Vertical root fracture – this type of crack occurs below the gum line and moves upward. It usually doesn’t indicate many symptoms unless the tooth gets infected.
- Cracks that reach into the gum line – a tooth that has an upward crack that continues through it but hasn’t yet reached the gum line is usually savable. Nevertheless, if the damage gets into the gum line, that tooth may need to be removed. Immediate treatment is required to save the tooth.
- Split tooth – in this type, a crack in a tooth travels from its surface to beneath the gum line. It can be divided into two segments. With such a far-reaching crack, it’s unlikely the entire tooth can be protected.
But, what are the possible dental treatments for a cracked tooth?
Treating a cracked tooth is as important as getting treatment for any other dental problems. If the cracked or the chipped tooth is not treated on time, it may create an adverse effect and more serious dental problems later on.
Possible treatments for a cracked tooth
The treatment for the chipped tooth depends on the size of the crack, its location, symptoms, and whether the crack reaches the gum line. Based on such factors, your dentist may recommend one of the following treatments:
Dental Crown
A dental crown is a prosthetic material usually made of porcelain or ceramic that is being fit over the damaged tooth. This is the best possible treatment to restore the function of the tooth without compromising the appearance.
While fitting a crown, your dentist makes sure to choose a color that matches your teeth. This procedure may take a couple of weeks, but surely, it can give the best results.
TruCare Dentistry offers the best treatment for dental crowns in Roswell GA. We provide all types of dental care treatment.
Bonding
This procedure is being used to fill the crack with plastic resin to restore the look and function of the damaged tooth.
Root Canal
When a crack is large and extended into the pulp, a root canal is recommended. This will remove damaged pulp and restore some parts of the tooth. This process can prevent the tooth from growing infection or weakening further.
Extraction
When the structure of the tooth, the nerves, and roots are severely damaged, removing the tooth may be your only option to treat the cracked or fractured tooth.
Depend on the cause, symptoms, and types of a cracked tooth, and your dentist will suggest you the treatment to cure the issue. The earlier it is, the better it will be in case of any dental problem.
All in all, a cracked tooth should be left without treatment. An untreated chipped tooth may create severe dental problems. So, it is advisable to treat the cracked tooth as soon as possible. At TruCare Dentistry, we provide all kinds of dental problems for people of all ages. If you or your loved ones need any dental treatment, we can help you to get the best possible treatment to keep your teeth healthy. Also, we offer specialized treatment for a dental crown in Roswell GA. Book an appointment to fix your dental problem in the best possible way. Contact us now!