How can I tell if I have a cracked tooth?

The signs can be difficult to spot and the symptoms will vary. You may get pain from time to time when you are chewing, especially when you release the biting pressure. Extreme temperatures, especially cold, may cause discomfort or you may be sensitive to sweetness, but with no signs of decay. A small area of the gum near the affected tooth may swell.
If the pain is severe, take a  pain reliever like you would normally take for a headache.

Do all teeth crack in the same way?

No, teeth can crack in several different ways:
• A cracked tooth is when a crack runs from the biting surface of the tooth down towards the root. Sometimes it goes below the gum line and into the root. The tooth is not split into two parts but the soft, inner tissue of the tooth is usually damaged.
• Craze lines are tiny cracks that affect only the outer enamel of the tooth. Which are common in all adult teeth and cause no pain.
• Cracked cusp is the pointed part of the biting surface of the tooth. If a cusp becomes damaged, the tooth may break. You will usually get a sharp pain in that tooth when biting.

Why do teeth crack?

Many things can cause teeth to crack, such as:
• Extreme tooth grinding, which can put the teeth under enormous pressure.
• Large fillings that weaken the tooth.
• Chewing or biting on something hard: for example ice, hard candy or nuts
• Gum disease with bone loss could make the teeth more likely to suffer from root fractures.

Why don’t cracks show up on a dental x-ray?

Unfortunately, x- rays sometimes don’t show the cracked tooth. This is because the x-ray beam must be parallel to the crack before it can penetrate it.  However, other signs of a crack may show up. With a vertical root fracture, if the crack has been there long enough, vertical bone loss near to the root can be seen.

Will I need to have treatment?

Yes, it is important to get advice as soon as possible to help the treatment be more effective.  However, if not treated, the tooth could need a root canal or even extracted. In severe cases the tooth can actually split in two.