Cracked or fractured teeth can be quite painful. It’s common to experience discomfort while chewing as well as sudden pain when your tooth is exposed to extreme temperatures. Failing to treat a cracked or fractured tooth can result in a variety of serious oral health issues that may require the extraction of the damaged tooth.
For this reason, it’s crucial that you visit our office as soon as you begin experiencing pain in your tooth. At Flatrock Family Dentistry, we can repair a cracked or fractured tooth in order restore optimal levels of oral health.
Determining the Right Treatment for Your Cracked or Fractured Tooth
Our dentists offer a variety of treatments to repair cracked teeth. The right solution for you will depend on the type, location and extent of the crack:
- Craze Lines – These tiny cracks only impact the outer enamel layer of your tooth. They are extremely shallow cracks which don’t cause pain and only result in cosmetic issues. These can be addressed with porcelain veneers.
- Fractured Cusp – This occurs when a piece of the tooth’s chewing surface breaks off. This issue typically isn’t painful and almost never damages the tooth’s pulp. Depending on the size of the damage, our dentists can treat a fractured cusp with a dental filling or dental crown.
- Cracked Tooth – When a crack extends from the chewing surface down towards the root, early diagnosis and treatment is crucial. If the crack spreads into the pulp, a root canal will be required to save the tooth. Once the crack extends below the gum line, the tooth will need to be extracted.
- Split Tooth – This occurs when a crack is allowed to progress for a long time. It’s characterized by distinct segments that can be separated. A split tooth can’t be saved entirely. Depending on the extent of the crack, our dentists may be able to perform a root canal to save a portion of the tooth.
- Vertical Root Fracture – A crack starts at the root and extends up towards the chewing surface. These fractures often aren’t detected until the adjacent gum tissue and bone becomes infected. These fractures often require extraction of the tooth. In some instances, root canal may be able to save the tooth if the fracture is detected early enough.
Contact our Greenville Dentists
Please contact Flatrock Family Dentistry using the form on this page or call (864) 756-5576 today to schedule an appointment. We serve patients in Greenville, Five Forks and the surrounding areas of South Carolina.