What to do if a tooth is cracked?

Tooth enamel is by its very nature a very durable material, but if it is subjected to excessive loads every day for a long period of time, it can crack. Then trips to the dentist will become not an annual procedure, but a weekly one.

What can cause a cracked tooth?

Cracks in the teeth usually form in the frontal section of the dentition and more often in the upper jaw. And they are formed in people with bad habits: the habit of opening beer bottles with their teeth, chewing pencils and pens, chewing seeds and nuts, etc.

In addition to bad habits, the formation of cracks in the teeth can be provoked by other reasons:

• Improper nutrition: eating foods that do not contain vitamins and microelements necessary for the normal functioning of body systems (this is typical for people who eat semi-finished products).
• Washing down a hot dish with a cold drink.
• Eating highly acidic foods and carbonated drinks.
• Use of highly abrasive whitening toothpastes and powders.
• Parafunction of the masticatory muscles, as a result of which a person in a dream clenches his jaw very strongly and grinds his teeth.
• Slicing caramels.
• Uncontrolled intake of drugs.
• mechanical injury.
• There are cases when a tooth crack appears as a result of incorrect manipulations by a dentist:
• During endodontic treatment, the doctor chooses a pin that is too large and, when trying to screw it in, splits the tooth along with the root.
• An endodontic instrument is selected incorrectly, which leads to excessive thinning of the tooth walls and the slightest pressure on it leads to a crack.

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Varieties of dental cracks

1. Inclined.
2. Horizontal.
3. Vertical.
4. Cracks inside the tooth.

An oblique crack crosses the tooth diagonally. If such a crack is not removed in a timely manner through dental treatment, the outcome will be disastrous: a chipped corner of the crown part of the tooth. Typically, such cracks are treated by veneer.

The horizontal crack crosses the tooth like the equator crosses the globe. Horizontal cracks, if left untreated, always end in a chip. How much dental tissue will be lost directly depends on the location of the crack. If the crack is located just below the masticatory area or incisal edge, then the amount of tissue lost will be negligible and the pulp will not suffer. If the crack is located closer to the neck of the tooth, then as a result of the chipping, the entire crown part of the tooth will be lost and the pulp will be exposed. In the latter case, tooth restoration will cause a lot of trouble for both the attending physician and the patient and will significantly hit the wallet.

A vertical crack is located parallel to the lateral wall of the tooth and divides the tooth into two parts. If such a crack was seen on the tooth, most likely not only the crown, but also the root of the tooth was included in the process. If the crack runs along the entire length of the tooth: from the cutting edge to the apical foramen of the root, such a tooth cannot be treated conservatively. In this case, the only treatment option would be tooth extraction. If the tooth is not cracked to its full length, then endodontic treatment is performed and the tooth is strengthened with an artificial crown.

A crack inside the tooth is the most insidious, as it is not visually visible. Such cracks are identified very late when they turn into a fracture.

How do patients with cracked teeth feel?

• With cracks, there is always pain that has a wandering character, so it can be difficult to determine the source on your own.
• The pain syndrome becomes more vivid at the moment of opening the jaws when eating.
• Pain usually appears in response to hot and cold stimuli.
• As soon as the stimulus ceases to act, the pain is eliminated and appears again only during the action of the stimulus.

If the patient notices the above symptoms, he should immediately seek specialized dental care. Sometimes the crack can be in such a place that it is impossible to notice it on your own.

If a tooth with a crack is not treated for a long time, inflammatory processes will begin in it, which will lead to additional symptoms:

• The color of the enamel layer of the tooth changes due to necrotic processes in the pulp chamber.
• There is an unpleasant smell from the mouth.
• The causative tooth seems to grow out of the jaw a little and touching it causes a sharp pain.
• The gum near the causative tooth becomes edematous and reddened.
• Pathological periodontal pockets appear.

That is, the process includes the neurovascular bundle of the tooth and periodontal tissue.

How to diagnose tooth cracks?

Diagnosing a crack is sometimes very difficult, due to the fact that in most cases, they are simply not visible. In this case, the specialist, based on the patient's complaints, assumes a diagnosis - a tooth crack and begins to look for it by probing, having previously studied the x-ray.  

Typically, a cracked tooth responds with pain when the patient bites on it. Therefore, for diagnosis, dentists use a special tool similar to a toothbrush on which there is no lint. The patient is offered to bite this tool and compare the sensations separately for each tooth. The tooth that responds with the brightest painful reaction will be causal.

Coloring substances are used as an additional diagnostic tool. These substances cover the enamel layer and if there is a crack on it, this area is painted. In addition, a modern diagnostic tool is a microscopic examination. Examination under a microscope does not give false results, however, unfortunately, not all dental clinics are rich in such innovations.

Dentists also pay attention to the condition of the soft tissues around the teeth. If the crack has existed for a long time, then there will be an edematous mucous membrane near the causative tooth and a deep periodontal pocket will be probed around it.

What to do if a cracked tooth is diagnosed?

As soon as symptoms suggestive of a crack formed, you should immediately seek help from a dentist. If the crack is not treated for a long time, the tooth will be subject to an inflammatory process, which will lead to serious consequences on the part of the pulp and periapical tissues.

Of course, there are cases when a tooth crack is so small and does not manifest itself in any way, and at some point some crown part is chipped. The patient in this case is confused and cannot find the cause that could lead to a chip. And everything is very simple! A tooth, on the hard tissues of which there is, even if very small, a crack becomes not so strong and cannot withstand the chewing load that is directed to it. To avoid such ridiculous situations, it is necessary to visit a dentist at least once every twelve months. The doctor during the examination will definitely notice the crack and take the necessary measures at the initial stage.

Moms should not panic, because injuries for little fidgets are a common occurrence. They must adhere to the following algorithm of actions:

1. Answer the phone and make an appointment with a pediatric dentist.
2. Do not give your child food or drinks that are too hot or too cold.
3. Ask the child not to chew on the side where the damaged tooth is located, and not to touch it with the tongue to prevent a possible chip.
4. If a child complains of severe pain, it is necessary to take one non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs: Ketanov, Nimesulide, etc.

If a crack was seen in an adult, the algorithm of action should be the same.

How are cracked teeth treated?

If there are microcracks on the tooth, then the treatment should be aimed at strengthening the enamel layer. For this, products containing fluorine and calcium particles, as well as additional auxiliary chemical elements, are well suited. To do this, the patient must visit the dentist daily for two weeks to cover the teeth with this remedy. After this procedure, you need to refrain from eating for two hours.

If a large number of cracks have formed on the tooth, but all of them are not deep, then the treatment can be carried out using the veneer method. Veneering - covering the vestibular surface and the cutting edge of the tooth with a thin plate called veneer. Today, this method of treatment is very popular. Because, firstly, it is beautiful, and secondly, the strength qualities of the tooth are improving. However, before installing a veneer, the dentist must make sure that the tooth is properly healed and that there are no pathological foci in the periapical tissues. This can be done with an x-ray.

If the crack runs from the mound of the masticatory surface to the root and visually divides the tooth into two halves, then most likely the pulp has undergone an inflammatory process. In this case, you must first perform endodontic treatment, and then strengthen the tooth with some kind of artificial crown.

In any case, if cracks are found, you need to close them in the early stages, and not wait for the moment when the tooth splits in half and has to be removed.

Is it possible to warn yourself against the appearance of cracks?

Of course you can! To do this, you need to review and adjust your habits. Do not expose your teeth to excessive stress: do not open beer with your teeth, and do not crack nuts. In no case should you drink ice cream with hot coffee.

It is necessary to revise the diet: exclude carbonated drinks and foods with high acidity from food. Eat apples and carrots daily. You need to make a diet in such a way that the food is rich in vitamins and trace elements.

Do not whiten your teeth at home. High-quality pastes grind off the top layer of enamel, weakening it. Toothpaste should be enriched with calcium and fluoride.

If the patient suffers from parafunction of the masticatory muscles, then, in order to prevent the occurrence of cracks, he must wear a special mouthguard at night. These mouthguards are made at a dental appointment based on a cast of the patient's jaws.

In addition, it is necessary to visit a dentist annually for preventive purposes.

Enamel is of course a very hard tissue, however, it is not able to withstand chronic stress. Do not test your teeth for strength so that the dental office does not become a "second home"!