You can get a cracked tooth if you bite into a hard object or food. A cracked tooth can also be caused by grinding. Symptoms of a cracked tooth vary depending on severity. However, you generally experience pain when biting if you have a cracked tooth particularly on releasing the bite. You also experience pain when you expose the cracked tooth to temperature variations like when eating ice cream or drinking a hot beverage. Although temperature variations are always problematic when a person has tooth sensitivity, a cracked tooth causes a much sharper pain.
If you experience such a pain, it might help if you visit an experienced dentist like Dr. Gabe Doria at his dental practice in Bayonne, NJ in Hudson County to have the exact problem pinpointed and treated. Ensuring that the exact cause of the pain is established when you cannot see an obvious damage to the teeth will help treat your problem and ease the pain.
Why are tooth cracks so painful?
Tooth cracks hurt if dentin, which is the hard tooth layer, is cracked exposing the softer inside tissue of the tooth, known as the pulp. Tooth pulp has nerves and blood vessels and it is the basic living part of our teeth. Exposure of the pulp is similar to exposure of an open wound. Just like the epidermis or outer layer of the skin is not alive, so is the enamel of the teeth. In most cases, non-living tissues protect the living tissues of the human body. Therefore, damage to the non-living, protective tissues leads to pain and susceptibility of the living tissues to infection.
Due to this, tooth pulp can be inflamed or irritated when exposed. This can cause a severe pain, particularly when the crack is not large and the space confines an inflamed pulp in a space that it occupies when not swollen. This pressures the nerves causing a throbbing pain.
The restorative procedures for cracked teeth differ on the basis of factors like crack size, health of the tissue and choice of the patient when the treatment options are presented. In some cases, the only option is to extract the tooth. For instance, if a tooth is damaged to a level where it cannot be repaired, such as when the crack extends all the way from the top to the root, it is extracted. However, if the crack does not extend to the root, a root canal procedure can be performed. The cracked tooth can be covered with a dental crown which protects the remaining tissue. Since cracks have a tendency of spreading when untreated, it is crucial that you book appointment with a dentist immediately you suspect a crack on your tooth.
If extraction is the only option, you can choose among different options of replacing a missing tooth. Modern dentistry provides several replacement options like dental implants. However, these options are costly than having the damaged tooth repaired. Therefore, delaying your appointment with the dentist can lead to the loss of the teeth and hefty treatment expenses.
In addition to booking a dental appointment promptly to avoid losing a tooth, going for dental checkups on regular basis will help in fixing dental problems before they worsen. Dental checkups will enable the dentist to identify dental problems and fix them before they escalate. You might not be aware of some dental problems but your dentist can identify them during the checkup. Note that you can have a damaged tooth but not feel any pain. When such a problem is treated, you avoid the toothache misery while preventing further tooth damage.
Book your appointment
Book a dental with Dr. Gabe Doria any time if you experience pain that you suspect might be due to a cracked tooth. Dr. Gabe has a professional team at his dental practice in Bayonne, NJ in Hudson County. He has years of experience in delicately fixing cracked teeth and replacing missing teeth. He performs various dental prosthetics including bridges, dental implants, crowns, veneers, dentures and dental onlays and inlays. If you have a severe pain, book a dental emergency appointment and you will receive treatment the same day you book your appointment.
Contact us now to schedule your dental visit or to ask any question about cracked tooth repair.
