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Posted on 11/30/2018 by Dr. Leary |
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 Cracked teeth aren't always painful, but they can be quite dangerous. Your teeth can crack from a wide range of reasons, such as from falling, getting struck on the face, or biting down on some crunchy food. Regardless the reason for your tooth breaking, however, it's extremely important that you come to us immediately after it happens. Even if you don't have any signs of pain on your cracked tooth, not treating it right away could lead to a host of problems down the road. Dangers of Chewing on a Cracked ToothIf you have heat or cold sensitivity, throbbing pain in your mouth, or sharp pain when you release a bite, there's a good chance that you have a cracked tooth. Even without pain, though, a cracked tooth still needs to be promptly addressed and treated by us. Your dental enamel is extremely strong, but that doesn't mean it's completely impervious to cracks. Every time you take a bite with that cracked tooth, you're applying more pressure and stress to the injury, making the crack spread and worsen. A cracked tooth is like setting out a welcome mat to bacteria, inviting them to invade the vulnerable dentin and pulp inside the tooth. Over time, you could develop an infection inside your teeth, requiring a root canal to save it. If you catch it early, though, we could use less invasive treatment measure to prevent the problem from getting worse. Problems that could arise from a cracked tooth include:
Don't neglect your cracked tooth or dismiss it as a mere cosmetic problem. If we determine your tooth has been cracked, we may be able to simply replace your filling or place a crown over the damaged tooth. If you wait too long, though, you run the risk of losing your tooth. Give us a call here today at our office and allow our skilled dental team to quickly assess and diagnose your cracked tooth and start you on treatment for it today! |
