cracked teeth Cracks in your teeth can appear after chewing hard foods, but they can also appear spontaneously or because of an injury. Your teeth wear as you grow older, and this condition is pretty common. In fact, it is one of the leading causes of tooth loss in the world. A cracked tooth can be a nightmare if you leave it untreated. Here at Jason Widner DMD Family Dentistry we can help you.What is a Cracked Tooth?A cracked tooth happens when the outer part of the tooth called the enamel gets a crack on it. The central function of enamel is to protect the tooth. For this purpose, enamel is one of the hardest materials in the human body. Still, it has limits, and if you are not careful, you can end up with a cracked tooth. There are different causes of cracked teeth. For example, if you unconsciously grind your teeth at night, you can develop a cracked tooth. If you chew on hard candy, ice, or nuts, you can chip your tooth. Any severe injury or trauma you have involving your mouth, like a car accident, or a sports injury, can cause a cracked tooth. Some other causes include extreme temperature changes inside your mouth - like eating something hot and then immediately something cold, and being over 50 years of age. What Are the Symptoms?It will depend on the type of cracked tooth, but most of the time, some symptoms can indicate you need to schedule an appointment with us as soon as possible. Signs like non-continuous pain in your mouth, redness around the tooth and gums, pain when biting, and sensitivity to temperature changes may indicate you have a cracked tooth. What Are the Types?A crack in your tooth can appear in different ways. A split tooth is when your tooth cracks completely, and you may even be able to separate the parts. If you have a split tooth, your teeth will have a crack that goes from the surface of the tooth to your gums. It is challenging for the endodontist to save the tooth in these cases. On the contrary, craze lines are small cracks that appear in your teeth. It is hard to notice them without the help of a dentist. They do not cause pain and may not require any treatment. A vertical root fracture is like a split tooth. However, this time the crack appears the other way around. The crack starts in the gum line and goes upwards. You may not have any symptoms, but the tooth may get infected, and extraction will be necessary. A fractured cusp is a crack that will only appear if you have a dental filling. It does not affect the inside of your tooth called the tooth pulp. Since the tooth pulp is the part with nerves, blood vessels, and connective tissue, if it is not affected you will not feel any pain. If you have questions regarding a cracked tooth or you need to schedule an appointment, you can call 425-868-0123 at Jason Widner DMD Family Dentistry today. |
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