Little Rock Endondontist Help and Tips
Once the crack has reached the root of your tooth, the odds of an endodontist being able to save it go down. A split tooth is a tooth with a crack that runs deep enough to separate the tooth into segments. This is often caused when a cracked tooth is left untreated. The crack has gone all the way through your tooth and it is now a break or “split”.
All cases are unique. If you are dealing with a cracked tooth, don’t lose hope — or your tooth. Here are a few things you need to know.
How to tell if your tooth is really cracked.
Not all toothaches are alike. If your tooth is cracked, you will feel pain after you bite down on something. When you release your jaw, the crack moves back into place, irritating the sensitive nerves inside your tooth.
You’ll notice that that particular tooth is sensitive to hot and cold temperatures.
There is no way to determine how badly the tooth is cracked without an x-ray. The crack could be isolated to the chewing surface of your tooth. Most often a cracked tooth is characterized by a fracture going down into the root of the tooth. Your dentist or endodontist will see this on an x-ray.
How can a tooth be cracked?
They are such small bones, how do they become broken? A crack happens when the tooth experiences trauma or untreated decay has damaged the tooth enough for a crack to occur. Here are a few common causes of a cracked tooth.
- A poorly fitted filling.
- Grinding your teeth.
- Eating hard foods.
The risk of cracking one of your teeth is based on how healthy the enamel is. How do you get healthy enamel? Have a good dental hygiene routine.
If you have been told by your dentist that you have a cracked tooth or you are experiencing all the pain symptoms described above, see an endodontist right away.
