Whether Tooth Cracks Require Treatment and Treatments by Symptom: A 3-Minute Summary

Hello.

This is The Square Dental Clinic,

committed to restorative and tooth-preserving treatment.

"It looks perfectly fine on the outside,

but if you feel a sharp, tingling pain

every time you chew food?"

"What if you happened to look in the mirror...

and noticed a fine

hairline crack in your tooth?"

When you discover symptoms of a cracked tooth like these, it is natural to feel worried first.

You may be afraid that if you visit the dentist,

you will hear frightening words such as, 'You need root canal treatment' or 'You need to have the tooth extracted.' (^^;)

To give you the conclusion first,

having symptoms of a cracked tooth does not necessarily mean that you must undergo treatment immediately.

In this column,

1. Whether symptoms of a cracked tooth require treatment

2. Cracked-tooth treatment: 'Resin'

3. Cracked-tooth treatment: 'Crown'

we will discuss these three topics. :)

Symptoms of a cracked tooth,

what determines whether treatment is needed?

As mentioned, a crack in a tooth does not necessarily lead to treatment.

Our teeth are subject to wear, so virtually every adult has fine cracks in their teeth.

People simply may not notice them in daily life, then happen to become aware of them and mistake them for symptoms that have suddenly developed.

If the crack in the tooth

🦷 is limited to the outermost layer, the enamel, or

🦷 extends into the dentin but is minor,

then rather than undergoing treatment unnecessarily right away,

it is often sufficient to monitor the crack through regular checkups and follow-up observation.

On the other hand, there are cases in which treatment should never be postponed.

✔️ The sensitivity is very severe when eating hot or cold foods,

✔️ The pain is severe enough to keep you from sleeping at night, or

✔️ The frequency and intensity of the pain are gradually increasing,

these are signs that the condition has progressed to pulpitis, at which point natural healing is no longer possible,

and you should visit a dentist as soon as possible.

If you miss this stage, the crack may extend down to the root, causing the tooth to split completely and potentially requiring extraction.

Symptoms of a cracked tooth,

cracked-tooth treatment — (1) Resin

You may be wondering how cracked-tooth treatment is performed.

• If there is only a slight crack on the tooth surface

• If only a small corner has chipped

• If it is an early stage with intermittent pain

in cases such as these, 'resin' may be considered as a relatively simple cracked-tooth treatment method.

Resin treatment involves gently smoothing the cracked area and filling it with a tooth-colored resin.

The treatment can be completed in one day, and because it is less expensive than other dental treatments,

it can be considered a cost-effective treatment option.

However, due to the nature of the material, resin does not provide enough force to hold a tooth that is separating together,

so it may be unsuitable for molars that receive strong pressure or for more severe cracks.

Symptoms of a cracked tooth,

cracked-tooth treatment — (2) Crown

Following what we discussed above,

for moderate or more severe cracks that have limitations with resin, a 'crown' may be used.

If the crack has not progressed to the nerve but causes pain when chewing,

a crown is placed to protect the entire tooth so that it does not separate further and split.

If the crack has already reached the nerve and the pain is extremely severe,

a crown may be needed after root canal treatment to thoroughly remove the infected tissue inside the tooth.

If treatment is delayed further and the crack progresses all the way to the end of the tooth root,

making it a vertical fracture, it becomes difficult to save the tooth.

In this case, the tooth is extracted and replaced with an implant to prevent damage to the surrounding gum and bone.

As you can see, the treatment method for a cracked tooth varies completely depending on the symptoms,

so advanced equipment for precise diagnosis and the dentist's experience are essential.

Therefore, we recommend choosing a dental clinic with specialists in orthodontics or integrated dentistry on staff who can establish a conservative treatment plan that excludes unnecessary overtreatment

and preserves the natural tooth as much as possible.

[Related articles you may find helpful]

This article was written for those who have been troubled by a cracked tooth.

Let me briefly summarize the key points discussed today.

1️⃣ A tooth crack can be monitored if there are no symptoms, but if the pain is severe, treatment should be provided immediately.
2️⃣ Resin can treat a crack quickly and inexpensively, but it may not be suitable if the crack is severe.
3️⃣ If symptoms worsen, you may need to consider a crown, a crown after root canal treatment, or implant treatment after extraction.

If you have any further questions for us, please leave a comment or ask us through Naver TalkTalk. ^^

Specialized knowledge based on the latest findings,

three-dimensional diagnosis based on scientific evidence,

and treatment that follows established principles—

this has been The Square Dental Clinic,

committed to reliable treatment.

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| This article was written in compliance with the Medical Service Act (Article 56, Paragraph 1) so that you can obtain accurate information. Rather than focusing on simple promotion, we wanted to transparently share what actually takes place in the treatment room. You do not need to contact us immediately after reading this article; obtaining accurate information is enough. |