Say you bit down on that ice cube or piece of hard candy and cracked your tooth. It hurt at the time, but maybe the pain went away. Perhaps you felt discomfort when you sipped your morning coffee (or tea), but you figured it was manageable. You might be tempted to just ignore your cracked tooth, but you definitely should not.

An untreated cracked tooth can lead to tooth sensitivity, tooth decay, and ultimately tooth loss. If you’ve cracked a tooth, it’s important to make an appointment to see Dr. Walkington as soon as you can so that it can be evaluated and treated if necessary.

A cracked tooth can vary in its severity. It may be a small and shallow crack or it could be deeper towards the root and/or nerve. A dentist will evaluate the potential crack by looking for the crack, making gum measurements around the tooth, taking an X-ray, and possibly testing the status of the nerve or if there is pain when biting.

A crack can often result in a fracture where part of the tooth breaks off. Depending on the severity of the crack, the treatment may involve a filling, crown, root-canal therapy, or potentially even removal of the tooth. Fixing a crack early is the best way to prevent the bigger problems. That is why if you think you have a cracked tooth, you should call Wildflower Dental & Orthodontics right away so we can assess the severity and treat it as necessary. Part or even the entire damaged tooth can be saved when treated promptly!