Just like your car windshield, if a crack in your tooth gets large enough, it will need to be repaired or replaced. Unfortunately, our teeth are much more complicated than windshields, and great results require a confident cosmetic dentist.
If you do have a fractured cusp or crack that you know about, it is very important to repair it as soon as possible. Cracks can get larger due to everyday use and eventually these cracks can even reach the tooth pulp which will be painful and necessitate root canals and dental crowns or in the most severe case—tooth extraction. Sometimes if a fractured cusp is minimal, then you can also get porcelain veneers.
It would be wise as soon as you know that you have a crack to fix it. This can prevent further damage and will cost less to fix if you catch the crack early on. Sometimes you don’t find out until the cracks have already propagated too far and will necessitate porcelain crowns. Here are some tips to help you catch cracks early on:
Get dental check-ups frequently: your dentist can spot these cracks early on and help you prevent costly repairs. This may be the best solution because once you start having symptoms, it means the crack is already very advanced.
Symptoms of a cracked tooth:
- Pain when chewing
- Temperature sensitivity
- Sharp pain after release of bite