Signs and Symptoms of Cracked Teeth

1.         Pain to cold air

2.         Pain to sweet foods

3.         Unsolicited pain

4.         No evidence of a problem on X-ray

5.         No dental decay present

6.         Fracture verification during tooth preparation

7.         Pain on chewing

Teeth are among the hardest surfaces in your body, however, they can break or crack if you do not take proper precautions.  Every time you grind your teeth together, or against a hard object, you are adding stress to them.  This causes gradual damage to the tooth.  If a tooth is already weak, you may crack the tooth if you bite down on a hard object.

You should avoid habits such as chewing on pencils, ice cubes and popcorn kernels.  These, and like habits, can lead to a cracked or broken tooth.

If you have noticed sensitivity to heat or cold, occasional pain when you bite down, you may already have a cracked tooth.  It is important for you to schedule a visit to your dentist or endodontist to evaluate this tooth.

Grinding your teeth will weaken the tooth.  This will increase the chances of cracking a tooth with a misplaced bite. If you think you may grind your teeth while you sleep, set up an appointment with your dentist.  They will be able to recommend a mouth-guard, which will protect your teeth from further damage.

Children who receive dental injuries that includes chipped and cracked teeth, or knocked out of the socket can often have their teeth repaired.  This can allow them to keep the teeth for a lifetime.  Treatment is due to a variety of new procedures available by your endodontist or general dentist.

It has been found that most dental injuries occur in boys and girls between the ages of 7 and 15.  These injuries are a result of mishaps involving in-line skates, bicycles, skateboards and other sporting activities.   No one would want to stop children from participating in sporting activities, but it is only prudent to take proper precautions for the safety of our children during these activities.  Mouth guards can offer your children protection from dental injuries.

If you, your children or other members of your family have a dental injury, it is important to receive immediate care to increase the probability of successful treatment.  Today, treatments include stronger bonding materials that look and function like natural teeth.  There are new ways to repair the crown of a tooth, and medications and growth factors to repair the damaged root of the tooth.   These will enhance root reattachment to the bony part of the jaw.   Children who injure permanent teeth may not be able to undergo the normal endodontic procedure.  This is because the root of the tooth has not fully matured.  Traumatic injury may stop the root from continuing to grow normally.  A procedure know as apexification can be done to help save the tooth.  The dentist will place medication inside the tooth.  This will allow the root to continue it’s normal growth pattern.  After the root fully matures, the endodontist will perform a normal root canal, which can save the tooth.

When a child or adult receives a traumatic dental injury, it is easy to think there is no way to save the tooth.   However, there has been a great deal of research to improve the success of treating teeth due to traumatic injury.  Remember even if a tooth is knocked out (avulsed) it can often be reimplanted and treated.  Such a tooth can last for a lifetime.

Successful treatment of teeth that are knocked out (avulsed) often depends on quick and appropriate action.