What Do You Do if Your Tooth is Cracked Under Your Crown?

While your teeth are strong, and crowns are strong as well, accidents or wear can still happen.  A crown or tooth can crack or break from:

• A blow to the face
• A fall
• Teeth grinding
• Normal wear and tear
• Biting down on something hard

While accidents aren’t always easy to avoid, you can prevent some of these common ways that a tooth can crack under your crown. If you clench your teeth or grind them, wear a mouthguard at night to protect your crown and the tooth beneath it.

Avoid opening things like packages or bottle tops with your teeth.

But that said, cracks and fractures are a common dental issue. They can happen at any age, are usually painful, and can even be difficult to diagnose. But, once recognized, a cracked tooth, even one under a crown, is usually easy to treat. 

What Kind of Fractures Can Happen?

There are a variety of tooth cracks and fractures that can occur. These include:

• Oblique supragingival fracture – occurs when you bite down with too much force; happens above the gum line

• Oblique subgingival fracture – this type of fracture happens below the gum line – it can be extremely painful, or take awhile to detect. A root canal may be necessary.

• Oblique root fracture – happens below the gum line, and usually causes tooth loss 

• Vertical apical root fracture – occurs in the root tip; usually the most painful fracture, a root canal is almost always required 

What Causes a Cracked Tooth?

Teeth can crack for a variety of reasons, such as:

• Biting down on hard foods such as ice, hard candies, and nuts
• Jaw clenching or teeth grinding
• Uneven chewing
• Tooth wear
• Exposure to extreme temperatures such as consuming hot food with ice water

How Do You Know You’ve Cracked a Tooth?

It can be difficult to diagnose a cracked tooth on your own. Often tiny cracks can’t be seen with the eye, or if a crack occurs beneath a crown. 

However, here are some of the signs a tooth is cracked:

• Tooth pain when you chew or bite
• Sporadic pain rather than chronic, continuing pain 
• Increased sensitivity – you may notice that you experience pain when biting into hot foods or drinking cold liquids, or that you have increased sensitivity to sticky, sweet, and sour foods
• Infection around the gum line near the fracture

How Do You Treat a Cracked Tooth?

It depends on the location of the crack or break, and the severity. A cracked tooth under a crown would require the removal of the crown, followed by treatment. About 20% of cracked teeth will need a root canal, and in some very severe cases, the cracked tooth might have to be removed. If so, an implant or a bridge can replace the tooth. 

What Should I Do If I Discover a Cracked Tooth?

Early treatment is important when it comes to a cracked tooth. If you delay treatment, the crack can get worse. The sooner your tooth is treated, the better you’ll find that the outcome will be. So don’t delay in seeking help!

Dental Wellness Team provides dental crowns and other dental services including Invisalign, veneers, and periodontal care in Coral Springs, FL.