Cracked Tooth
How cracked or chipped teeth are repaired.
A cracked tooth can range from a minor chip to a serious fracture. Treatment depends on severity.
Repair Options
Bonding, veneers, a crown, or — if the crack reaches the pulp — root canal.
Act Early
Prompt repair prevents the crack from worsening.
Cracked Tooth Syndrome: How It Feels
The classic sign is pain on releasing a bite, not on biting down. Chew on something firm, and as the pressure comes off, a sharp jolt goes through the tooth. Cold may trigger a brief zing. Between episodes there may be nothing at all.
That intermittency is why cracks are so often missed for months, and why the tooth is frequently blamed on the wrong side.
Not All Cracks Are Equal
Craze lines: superficial enamel lines. Cosmetic only, no treatment.
Fractured cusp: a corner breaks off, often around a large filling. Usually restorable with an onlay or crown.
Cracked tooth: a crack running from the chewing surface toward the root. Treatable if it stops above the pulp; needs a crown to bind the tooth together, and root canal treatment if the pulp is involved.
Split tooth: the crack has separated the segments. Often part of the tooth must be removed.
Vertical root fracture: starts at the root. Usually extraction — this is the one that cannot be saved.
Why Time Matters
A crack propagates. Each bite flexes it a little wider, and bacteria follow it. A crack that could have been sealed under a crown for the cost of a crown becomes a root canal, then a split, then an extraction, then an implant.
There is no ambiguity here: treated early, most cracked teeth are saved. Left, most are lost.
How It Is Diagnosed
Cracks rarely show on X-rays, which is why patients are so often told “nothing is wrong”. Dentists use a bite stick to reproduce the release pain cusp by cusp, transillumination to shine light through the tooth, dye staining, and sometimes removal of the old filling to inspect the floor of the cavity directly.
If your symptoms fit and your dentist has not done these, ask.
Prevention
The dominant cause is force: bruxism, chewing ice, nuts and hard sweets, and large old fillings that leave thin, unsupported walls. Heavily filled teeth are candidates for a protective onlay or crown before they crack, not after.
A night guard is cheaper than a crown, which is cheaper than an implant. See inlays and onlays.
This page provides general information and does not replace professional dental advice. Seek prompt care if you have symptoms of a spreading infection.
Frequently Asked Questions
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