THERE ARE MANY ways to crack a tooth, and the severity of the damage determines how we will treat it (or if it can be treated at all). When there’s a serious crack, we can make a plan to save part or all of the tooth. For a minor crack, we can recommend the next steps to take.
Craze Lines
These are fine cracks that form on the tooth enamel, a bit like the tiny cracks that appear on the surface of glazed pottery. These don’t require treatment, and they can be disguised by whitening treatments.
Fractured Cusp
If a point of a tooth becomes weak, it can eventually fracture. It’s rare for the damage in such a case to reach the pulp inside the tooth, so a simple crown is enough to restore it.
Treatable Cracked Tooth
If the cracks extend from the chewing surface down towards the gumline and beyond, the tooth needs fast treatment to stop the damage reaching the pulp. If it does, only root canal therapy can save it.
Split Tooth
If a tooth completely breaks into multiple pieces, it may be possible to save one of the pieces, but not even root canal therapy can save all of it.
Vertical Root Fracture
If the crack starts at the root, it can be very hard to discover, and if endodontic surgery can’t save it, extraction may be needed.
