You look in the mirror and suddenly see a line transcending down your tooth. You’ve never noticed that before, and it looks like your tooth might actually be cracked. It doesn’t hurt, so you don’t need to worry about it, right? Wrong. Regardless of the cause, you should never ignore a cracked tooth.
What Causes Cracked Teeth?
No two cracks are exactly the same when it comes to the teeth, possibly because they can be caused by so many different issues:
| • | Teeth that have been weakened by large fillings |
| • | Prior root canal treatment |
| • | Nighttime clenching and grinding of the teeth |
| • | Trauma due to an accident or blow to the face |
| • | Chewing on hard foods, ice, pens, or other objects |
| • | Excessive pressure on the tooth due to occlusion, or the way the teeth fit together |
Regardless of the cause – even if you can’t identify a specific cause – it is important to follow-up with an evaluation in our office.
Do All Cracks Need Treatment?
If you’re wondering about treatment for your cracked tooth, the first thing we’ll need to examine is where the crack is located. If the crack is restricted to the enamel, you might not need any treatment, so long as the appearance of the crack doesn’t bother you.
If the fracture extends beyond the enamel, you’ll likely need treatment. Failure to do so will only cause the problem to worsen, and every time that you chew on that fractured tooth, you’ll wedge it apart even further.
This wedging motion deepens the crack, and at some point, a piece of the tooth might break off or the crack will reach the center of the tooth – where the nerve is located.
Don’t allow a crack to cause further damage to your tooth or oral health. Give our office a call today to start the treatment process.
