Cracked Teeth
Cracked teeth demonstrate many types of symptoms, including pain when chewing, temperature sensitivities, or even the release of biting pressure. It is also common for tooth pain to come and go, 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. At the same time, when biting pressure is released, the crack can close quickly, resulting in sharp pain. Eventually, the pulp will become damaged and tooth will consistently hurt, 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.
Cracked teeth are the third leading cause of tooth loss, after decay and periodontal disease. A major factor in the rising incidence of cracked teeth is the ongoing increase in the average lifespan of people. A 2013 study that analysed more than 14,300 molars in nearly 2,000 patients showed 66.1% had at least one cracked molar and 46.2% had more than one.
In some cases (for example, if you bite on something hard and part of your tooth around a filling breaks off), it will be obvious you have cracked a tooth. In other cases, a crack can be asymptomatic, or it may produce fleeting symptoms you might be attempted to ignore.
If you suspect you have cracked a tooth, we recommend scheduling a Consultation with Dr Patel as soon as possible. Dr Patel specializes in diagnosing and saving cracked teeth in London and will customise treatment to remedy the type, location and extent of your tooth crack.
What Are Symptoms Of A Cracked Tooth?
The symptoms of cracked teeth vary considerably depending on the depth of the crack and the severity of pulp inflammation. When tooth enamel and dentin are cracked, this impacts the soft dental pulp inside your tooth, which can be irritating and produce symptoms. Extensive cracks can cause infection of the pulp tissue, which can spread to the bone and gum tissue surrounding the tooth. The most common symptom of cracked teeth is discomfort while chewing, although sensitivity to cold also occurs frequently. In many cases, the pain may be intermittent, making pinpointing the cause of discomfort somewhat challenging.