Cracked tooth – causes, symptoms and treatment options

A cracked tooth can cause unpleasant pain and threaten the overall stability of your teeth. A crack can occur in both healthy teeth and teeth weakened by decay or older fillings. A timely visit to the dentist is key to preserving the tooth and preventing further complications.

How can you tell if a tooth is cracked?

Typical symptoms of a cracked tooth include:

• Pain when biting or chewing.
• Increased sensitivity to cold or hot drinks.
• A sharp sensation when biting into hard food.
• Sometimes a visible crack or broken piece of tooth.

A cracked tooth may not hurt all the time – often the pain only occurs when putting pressure on it.

Causes of tooth cracks

• Injury or impact (fall, sport, accident).
• Teeth grinding (bruxism).
• Biting into hard food (nuts, bones, hard bread).
• Weakening of the tooth due to decay or old fillings.
• Large dental filling or treatment that mechanically stressed the tooth.

How is a cracked tooth treated?

Treatment depends on the extent of the damage:

1. Small crack (superficial) – can be treated with a composite filling or polishing.
2. Crack extending into the pulp – requires endodontic treatment (root canal treatment).
3. Significantly weakened tooth – often protected with a crown.
4. Tooth broken below the gum line – sometimes extraction and subsequent replacement with an implant or bridge is necessary.

What to do if you crack a tooth?

• Avoid chewing on the affected side.
• Rinse your mouth with clean water or use mouthwash.
• If a large piece breaks off, keep it and take it to the dentist.
• Visit your dentist as soon as possible – the sooner a cracked tooth is treated, the higher the chance of saving it.

A cracked tooth is a problem that should not be underestimated. Even if the pain subsides, the crack poses a risk of infection and weakening of the entire tooth. Early diagnosis and proper treatment can save even a severely damaged tooth and prevent its loss.