Cracked tooth is a difficult dental situation both for the patient and the dentist. Well for the Patient its an erratic and bothersome pain episode that comes especially when you bite and release teeth apart and may be also a condition that is manifested as increased sensitivity to hot and cold temperature in mouth. For the dentist the situation is difficult to diagnose especially during the initial stages and may present as a micro crack in the crown portion.
WHAT CAUSES CRACKED TOOTH
Cracked teeth may be due to excessive grinding ,bruxism, heavy clenching and overloading of tooth due to stress, parafunctional habit and aggressive teeth rubbing habits. one of our patient developed cracked tooth due to his habit of heavy clenching his back teeth whenever he used to get angry .
HOW DO ONE GET TO KNOW ABOUT THE CRACKED TOOTH
Erratic pain, hypersensitivity to cold and hot food, pain on releasing bite, tooth mobility during advanced stages are all sign of cracked tooth.
HOW IS CRACKED TOOTH MANAGED
Early reporting by patient is the key to saving cracked tooth. Initially the crack may be only in the tooth crown portion, however if left ignored the crack may extend through the pulp chamber of tooth and onto the roots. Once the crack propagates to the root portion then tooth extraction is the only option.
Cracked crown with tooth sensitivity can be managed by Root canal treatment and sealing the crack with fibre reinforced core buildup /fillings . Root canal treatment at identityplus dental centre is painless and advanced using modern rotary endodontics and digital radiography . Once root canal is done the cavity can be filled with minimally invasive bonded restorations using glass fibre filling material so as to reinforce the tooth structure and prevent further crack propagation.
However, if the crack is deeper through the roots the tooth may need removal . All cracked teeth are best managed as per their clinical manifestation and extent of the crack
We also recommend hard bite splints to prevent damaging occlusal forces from cracking patients teeth any further. We believe prevention is better and cheaper then cure.
