Whether due to biting down on something hard, tooth decay, worn teeth, large fillings, bruxism, or something else, a cracked tooth can happen for many different reasons. If your tooth cracks, there are ways it can be treated, whether the crack is visible or not. After repairing any cracked tooth, you can also get invisalign braces with the help of your family dentist to correct the alignment of your teeth and improve your smile.
Signs of a Cracked Tooth
How do you know if your tooth is cracked?
Sometimes cracks are very visible – other times, not so much. Because you need to have your tooth addressed by your endodontist, it is always a good idea to know what to look out for.
Here are a few signs of a cracked tooth:
- Swelling and tenderness of the gums surrounding the tooth
- Pain while chewing
- Temperature sensitivity
- Discoloration
- Intermittent tooth pain
If you are experiencing any of these symptoms of a cracked tooth, there are ways to repair it. Leaving it untreated can put you at risk of infection – and it will not heal on its own.
Repairing a Cracked Tooth
So, just how does an endodontist repair a cracked tooth? Believe it or not, there are several different treatments commonly used.
Dental Bonding
Dental bonding is a type of dental treatment that can be used to repair a cracked tooth. Composite resin is applied to the tooth. It works to seal up the crack and enhance the appearance. This material looks just like a natural tooth.
Dental bonding is often reserved for minor cracks.
Dental Crowns
For a tooth that has a major crack in which its integrity has been jeopardized, getting a same-day crown can help. Sometimes referred to as a cap, a dental crown is placed over the tooth. They can be made of different types of material, but are customized to match the color, size, shape, and contour of your natural teeth.
Dental caps seal the tooth so that nothing can enter the crack while also building up the tooth’s strength and functionality.
Root Canal Treatment
Root canals are not always necessary when a tooth is cracked. However, when the crack reaches the pulp inside the tooth, it often becomes an endodontist’s recommended treatment.
With the soft inner tissue exposed, it puts the tooth at risk of being lost.
A root canal treatment will remove the pulp and seal the tooth with a dental crown. The tooth’s functionality will be restored.
Tooth Extraction
It is important to know that an endodontist’s focus is always to take any step they can to save your tooth. After all, there is no replacement for a natural tooth. If your endodontist suggests an extraction, then you know that all other possible treatment options won’t successfully repair the cracked tooth. This is most often the case when the crack goes below the gum line.