Cracked Tooth
Cherry Hill, NJ
 A cracked tooth, also known as cracked tooth syndrome or a fractured tooth, occurs when a crack appears in your tooth. Sometimes, the crack is small and superficial. Other times, it can be deep and extensive and can cause your tooth to split or break.
Parts of Teeth That Can Crack
A tooth crack can affect two parts of your tooth:
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The crown that is the visible part of your tooth.
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The root that is hidden beneath the gums |
Your tooth consists of three distinct layers: the enamel, dentin, and pulp. A cracked tooth can damage one or all of these layers. If the crack is simple and harmless, it may not cause any discomfort. However, larger and deeper cracks can lead to pain and sensitivity.
What are the Various Types of Cracked Teeth?
At Cherry Hill Dental Smiles, Deepika M. Reddy, DDS and will classify your cracked tooth into one of the following types:
Supragingival Cracks
This is a crack that runs across the crown of your tooth. The fracture is above the gumline and is often not very painful.
Subgingival Cracks
These cracks develop below the gumline of the tooth and can result in discomfort and pain. These teeth require prompt treatment to restore the tooth.
Split Tooth
This crack extends from your crown to your tooth root, splitting the tooth in half.
Vertical Root Fracture
A vertical root fracture develops on the tooth root and extends towards the crown of the tooth. This fracture may not result in any pain or discomfort unless the tooth root gets infected.
Fractured Cusp
This is a crack that forms around a dental filling. Typically, these fractures aren’t painful.
Craze Lines
These are tiny, thin cracks that appear on the outer surface of your teeth. Since they affect only the enamel, they do not cause any pain.
Treatment for Cracked Teeth
There are various treatments for a cracked tooth, depending on the severity of the injury. These include:
This is a plastic resin compound that is used to fill superficial fractures.
Contouring
If the crack is near the edges of your teeth, rounding off the rough edges and polishing the tooth can restore the smooth and even surface of your tooth.
A dental crown is fitted on top of the cracked tooth. This treatment is typically done when you do not have enough natural tooth structure for a veneer.
If the crack is deep and has damaged the dental pulp, which contains the tooth nerve, blood capillaries, and soft tissues, you may need to have root canal surgery to get rid of the infection. A tooth that has undergone a root canal treatment needs to be protected by a dental crown.
If the fracture is severe and has damaged a large percentage of your tooth and tooth nerve, we may have to resort to tooth extraction.
In some cases, we may recommend not restoring your tooth at all. This can happen if the crack does not cause pain, does not affect your appearance, and extends only on the outer enamel.
A cracked tooth does not heal by itself but the appropriate treatment can restore it. If you have experienced a cracked tooth, we strongly recommend that you schedule an appointment with Deepika M. Reddy, DDS and by calling 856-667-3737.
With quick treatment, your tooth will last for decades without any additional issues.
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