A broken or fractured tooth, often called a cracked tooth or cracked tooth syndrome, is when a crack appears in your tooth. The crack can sometimes be small and harmless. Other times, it can cause your tooth to break or split.
If you suspect a broken tooth, you must consult a dentist right away.
What parts of a tooth can crack?
Teeth consist of two parts:
On the Top- The crown portion which is visible above your gums.
In the Bottom- The root portion which lies below your gums.
Both the crown and the root consist of several layers:
Enamel: Hard white outer surface.
Dentin: Middle layer of the tooth.
Pulp: Soft inner tissue that contains blood vessels and nerves.
Tooth fractures can affect some or all of these layers. Treatment for a cracked tooth depends on where the fracture happens and the severity of the fracture.
What causes a fractured tooth?
The most common causes of tooth fractures are:
- Age, with many tooth cracks happening at age 50 and older.
- Biting hard food items, such as nuts, seeds, candy, ice or popcorn kernels.
- Habits, such as gutkha chewing, betelnut chewing.
- Large dental fillings or a root canal, which weaken the tooth.
- Teeth grinding (bruxism).
- Trauma, including falls, sports injuries, bike accidents, car accidents or physical violence.
Which teeth are most likely to fracture?
Fractures occur most often on the upper front teeth and the teeth toward the back of your lower jaw (mandibular molars). Though people commonly fracture one tooth, more severe injury or trauma may fracture multiple teeth. People with dental cavities have a higher risk of fracture, even with less severe trauma.
How do you know whether your tooth is cracked?
Cracked teeth don’t always cause pain. When they do, the main symptoms include:
- Pain that comes and goes, particularly when chewing.
- Sensitivity to temperature changes or eating sweet foods.
- Swelling around the tooth.
- Toothache when biting or chewing.
How do we diagnose fractured teeth?
We perform a clinical check up and take the detailed history of the symptoms from our patients. We look for tenderness of the concerned tooth when biting force is applied. Also, we check for the crack lines through transillumination and also take X-ray radiographs or CBCT scans to analyse the fracture lines.
Can I treat a fractured tooth at home?
For a temporary immediate relief, it is advised to-
- Place an ice pack on the outside of your mouth to prevent swelling.
- Rinse your mouth with salt water to clean your teeth.
- Take nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs to reduce pain and swelling.
How do we treat a fractured tooth in our dental office?
Treatment for a fractured tooth depends entirely on how much damage your tooth has. Common cracked tooth treatments include:
- Bonding: Plastic resin is used to fill in the fracture.
- Cosmetic contouring: Rough edge rounding and polishing smooths out the broken tooth.
- Veneer: A ceramic laminate fitted over the fractured portion of tooth when a minor portion of tooth is missing.
- Crown: A porcelain or ceramic cap is fitted over the fractured tooth. Often used when a major portion of tooth is missing.
- Root canal: Done when the fracture line extends till pulp. It involves removal of damaged pulp to prevent further tooth weakening.
- Extraction: Complete removal of your tooth. Used when the root and nerves of your tooth show severe damage and a vertical crack is present.
You might notice pain, sensitivity, swelling, or signs of infection, but you can also crack a tooth without any symptoms. See a dentist right away if you suspect a fractured tooth. Prompt treatments may save your tooth, restore your appearance and prevent further dental problems.