People are keeping their teeth longer than ever, which means teeth face years of crack-inducing habits — clenching, grinding and chewing hard things like ice.
Cracks and fractures usually don't appear on X-rays, which makes them hard to locate. When a crack runs into the tooth, chewing can move the pieces and irritate the pulp. That often causes a brief, sharp pain at first, and later sensitivity to temperature. Over time a cracked tooth can begin to hurt on its own.
How we diagnose and treat cracks
We combine careful tooth testing, magnification under the operating microscope and 3D imaging where needed to understand the extent of the crack. Treatment depends on where the crack is and how far it extends. Many cracked teeth can be saved with root canal treatment followed by a crown from your dentist; the sooner a crack is treated, the better the outlook.