Treatment
Cracked tooth assessment in Rugby
A sudden, sharp pain when biting that vanishes the moment you let go is the signature of a cracked tooth. Cracks do not heal and spread with every chewing cycle, so the sooner one is assessed the more options remain for keeping the tooth.
Recognising a cracked tooth
- a sharp, momentary pain on biting, often worst on release;
- cold sensitivity that has become more noticeable;
- pain that is hard to pin to one tooth;
- a filling that feels high, or a tooth that feels different to chew on.
Cracks most often affect heavily filled back teeth, people who clench or grind, teeth that have bitten something unexpectedly hard and root-treated teeth without a crown.
How we find it
Cracks rarely appear on X-rays. The assessment combines a bite test on individual cusps, cold testing, a staining dye, a bright light shone through the tooth and examination under magnification — sometimes after removing an old filling to inspect the floor of the cavity. We need to know where the crack runs, how deep it goes and whether the pulp is involved.
Treatment depends on depth
- A shallow crack within the crown can usually be contained with a bonded onlay or crown.
- A crack reaching the pulp inflames the nerve; the tooth then needs root canal treatment and a crown. Treated promptly, many do well.
- A stable, symptom-free crack may simply be monitored.
- A crack running down the root cannot be repaired; we will say so clearly and discuss replacement with your dentist.
Why not wait
Every bite advances a crack a fraction further. One that could be contained today may reach the pulp within months and the root after that. Biting pain lasting more than a few days is reason enough for a consultation.
Protecting your other teeth
A night guard protects the whole mouth if you grind; heavily filled molars are safer with cuspal coverage than another large filling; and ice, boiled sweets and olive stones are best avoided.