Dientes agrietados

Cracked teeth demonstrate many types of symptoms, including pain when chewing, temperature sensitivities, or even the release of biting pressure. También es común que el dolor de dientes aparezca y desaparezca., making it difficult to diagnose the cause of discomfort.

Chewing can cause movement of the cracked pieces of your tooth, and the pulp within the tooth becomes irritated. Al mismo tiempo, when biting pressure is released, the crack can close quickly, resulting in sharp pain. Finalmente, la pulpa se dañará y los dientes dolerán constantemente, even when you are not chewing. It is possible that cracks can lead to infection of the pulp tissue, which can spread to the bone and gum surrounding the problematic tooth.

Types of Cracks

A depiction of craze lines on teeth

Craze lines

These are tiny cracks that only affect the outer enamel of the tooth. These cracks are more common in adults. These types of cracks are superficial and are usually of no concern.

An example of a tooth with a fractured cusp

Fractured Cusp

When a cusp becomes weakened, puede producirse una fractura. The cusp may break off or be removed by a dentist. UN fractured cusp rarely damages the pulp, por lo que la endodoncia no es necesaria. Your dentist will usually restore the tooth with a full crown.

A sample of a tooth showing a treatable cracked tooth

Treatable Cracked Tooth

This type of crack extends from the chewing surface of the tooth and vertically migrates towards the root. En algunos casos, the crack may extend below the gum line. It is possible for the crack to extend further into the root. Damage to the pulp is commonplace. En este caso, tratamiento del conducto radicular is usually necessary. UN diente roto that is not treated will worsen, resulting in the loss of the tooth. Por lo tanto, early detection is essential.

A depiction of a tooth split with distinct segments

Split Tooth

UN split tooth is usually the result of an untreated cracked tooth. It can be identified by a crack with distinct segments. This type of tooth can never be saved intact. Todavía, the position and extent of the problem will dictate whether any portion of the tooth can be saved. Algunas veces, retratamiento endodóntico by the doctors and restoration by your dentist can be used to save a portion of the tooth.

An example of a vertical fracture starting at the tooth's root

Fractura de raíz vertical

UN vertical root fracture begins at the root and extends towards the chewing surface of the tooth. Desafortunadamente, they show minimal symptoms and may go unnoticed. Treatment involves endodontic surgery if a portion of the tooth can be saved by removal of the fractured root. Otherwise, the tooth will have to be extracted.