Your tooth hurts and it appears to be cracked… but nothing has broken off. There is a good chance that you have cracked tooth syndrome. Your mind may be filled with a lot of questions once hearing about it from your Clearwater dentist. This post is here to help you understand exactly what it is.
Read on to learn more about Cracked Tooth Syndrome: Diagnosis, Causes, Treatments, & Prevention.
The short answer here is no. Just like a crack in a windshield, the crack will only grow over time and ultimately cause the tooth to break. If you wait too long, you may wind up losing the tooth. If you suspect that you have a cracked tooth, you need to go see a dentist to confirm it and then start treatment. If not, you may be looking at much more expensive options.
The first thing your Clearwater dentist will do when you come in is to discuss your dental history. They may ask if you have a tendency to have a lot of hard foods or bite on things like pen caps or pens. The next step is that they will do an exam of your mouth, possibly using a magnifying lens to see if there are any minute cracks in your tooth. They may ask you to bite down and see if there is any pain when you release the bite.
If you leave your damaged tooth alone, bacteria can collect in there and cause thins like an abscess or an infection. This can spread along your jaw and cause other tooth problems, including loose or lost teeth. Also, the cracked tooth can expose the nerve and ultimately lead to pain when eating or drinking hot or cold food.
The treatment your dentist chooses will depend on the severity of the cracked tooth. Here are three main options:
The dentist will drill into the tooth and remove both the root and pulp of the tooth. This will be done after they make sure there is no infection lurking in there that may cause problems down the road. Once the root canal has been finished, they will put a crown on top of the tooth to protect it from being damaged further.
If the crack is small, they can put resin on top of the crack and smooth it out so that the tooth is protected and looks natural at the same time. It’s an easy process and if the crack is not near the root of the tooth, may not even require anesthesia. You can have it done the same day. All you need to do after is watch the foods you eat – no hard foods or chewing on ice.
There are times that the dentist may opt to just go straight to the crown. The cement that they use will hold it firmly in place over the damaged tooth – making sure that it is clean before and protecting it. Your crown will be durable, but you need to avoid hard or crunchy foods. You can choose from several different types of material and colors if you want.
There are things that you can do to keep bacteria from getting in there while you wait to see your dentist. You can swish your mouth out after eating to get rid of food particles and bacteria. This is not meant to be done all the time – you still need togo to the dentist to have the tooth fixed.
You may notice the cracked tooth yourself or your dentist may notice it during your routine dental visit – you definitely need to keep those twice yearly visits. Whatee the case, it’s not something that you want to sit on. You can have it fixed while it’s a minor inconvenience… or pay more later. In the meantime, if your teeth are fine, you can keep them that way by brushing them twice a day, flossing, and avoiding chewing on anything hard or crunchy. Then you will enjoy good oral health.
Do you have cracked tooth syndrome? Contact professional emergency dentists in Clearwater, FL. The staff at the Dental Emergency Room are experts at handling situations like this. They will get your mouth back to its original condition. You can also see them for regular dental exams. Give them a call at 727-449-2424 today to make an appointment.
Dental Emergency Room
1935 Drew Street,
Clearwater, Florida 33765
Columbus, OH 43205
Phone: 727-449-2424