WHY YOU SHOULDN’T IGNORE A CRACKED TOOTH

Teeth are strong, but they can still suffer cracks. You may be tempted to ignore a cracked tooth, especially if there’s no pain. Read on to learn why you should think again.

Teeth are strong, and tooth enamel is the hardest substance in the body. But many things can happen to cause a crack in your tooth. Trauma, biting down on hard items or foods, bruxism (teeth grinding), sports injuries, and more can cause a cracked tooth. If you have teeth that one often sensitive to biting you may be experiencing what is called a cracked tooth syndrome.

A cracked tooth merits an emergency visit to you at Advanced Dentistry in Sugar Land, Texas.

You may be tempted to ignore a cracked tooth, especially if you’re not experiencing pain. This is a serious mistake. Bypassing proper treatment can allow complications to develop that can seriously compromise your oral health. Here’s why you don’t want to skip or put off treatment for a cracked tooth.

What can happen to a cracked tooth?

A cracked tooth provides a gateway into the softer, more sensitive inner tooth matter. This inner material can be sensitive when you encounter hot or cold substances in your mouth or even cause pain when you chew. Any sharp edges on the cracked tooth can easily injure your tongue, cheeks, or gums. Cracks in the tooth can progress onto the tooth structure rendering the tooth non-viable and can lead to extracting the tooth.

This unchecked pathway into the tooth’s inner sanctum allows bacteria to invade and the pulp to become infected. Abscesses can form, causing throbbing pain, fever, tenderness, bad breath, and more. If the bacterial infection enters your bloodstream, it can travel throughout the body, causing alarming health problems.

How long does this take to happen? It depends on the crack in your tooth, its severity, and other factors. In other words, it’s impossible to predict. But putting off getting treatment raises your risk of further complications with each passing day.

Getting treatment for a cracked tooth

Most cracked teeth will cause pain and sensitivity, letting you know immediately that something is wrong that needs attention. If you’ve been involved in a traumatic injury, apply an ice pack to the sore area on your face or jaw and call Advanced Dentistry.

Some cracks don’t present with pain or sensitivity immediately, especially if not caused by trauma. If you suspect you have a cracked tooth, call us and schedule an exam as soon as possible. We can detect even the smallest cracks and determine what, if any, treatment is warranted to protect your oral health.

Our dentists will examine your teeth and obtain X-rays to assess the damage closely. Some possible treatments for a cracked tooth include:

• Dental bonding
• Antibiotics
• A dental crown
• A root canal
• Extraction

If you suspect you have a cracked tooth, don’t risk more complications with your oral or general health. If you address a cracked tooth as soon as possible, treatments will likely be less intense, invasive, and expensive.

For all of your dental emergencies, treatments, and preventive care, contact our office. Call us at (281) 494-5600 or request an appointment online.