Cracked Tooth Syndrome Over time, people develop cracks in their teeth from normal wear and tear and usually remain superficial without causing any problems (called craze lines). However, if these the cracks run deeper, they can cause mild to intense pain especially when biting down on those teeth. This is known as Cracked Tooth Syndrome. This most often occurs in the back teeth because they absorb the most forces during chewing. People who tend to clench or grind are also more prone to Cracked Tooth Syndrome. Teeth with large fillings or root canals also have a high chance of cracking.
The most common symptom associated with Crack Tooth Syndrome is pain when chewing food. When a person bites with no food in their mouth, usually there is no pain. However, if they bite on certain foods or bite in a certain way, there is a shooting pain that usually goes through the tooth. This pain could be brief or last a long time. The tooth can also be more sensitive to cold foods or temperature. In order to determine if you are suffering from Cracked Tooth Syndrome, your dentist will perform certain tests. The most common test is the bite test using an instrument called a Tooth Sleuth. The dentist will ask you to bite down on a specialized biting stick on different parts of your teeth. From there the point of origin of the pain can be determined. When biting on the tooth with Cracked Tooth Syndrome, you will experience the same shooting pain, but it will be more intense when you release from the stick than when you bite down. The dentist will also take an x-ray of the tooth and rule out any other problems, such as infections or damaged nerves. Treating Cracked Tooth Syndrome can be tricky. It depends on where the crack is, how deep it is and how large it is. If the cracks are present in the visible part of the tooth (called the crown) then the cracks can be fixed by making an artificial crown (also known as a cap) that covers the entire tooth and covers all cracks. If the crack has spread to the center of the tooth (known as the pulp) then a root canal may be needed to resolve it. During a root canal, the nerves and blood vessels from within the tooth are removed. The tooth will not respond to temperature anymore, but may still react to pressure. These teeth usually need to be crowned afterwards in order to restore full function. In certain cases, the crack may lead all the way down to the root of the tooth. If this is the case, then there’s no way to fix this and the tooth will most likely need to be removed. If you are experiencing pain when you bite or chew, then it is best to visit your local dental clinic and have your teeth thoroughly checked. If you are looking for a Langley dentist, then give us a call today!