What is Cracked Tooth Syndrome?
It is a situation where there is some degree of a fracture line(s) within the tooth itself that may or may not be seen on an X-Ray, usually not. Symptoms may include pain on biting down or releasing on something like food or any object. Sometimes we can only see faint lines within the tooth under close-up photography as this photo depicts.
Sometimes we have to remove or cover the fracture with some sort of restoration, usually a crown that covers and protects the tooth and other times, depending on the depth of the fracture line, we may need an endodontic or root procedure to save the tooth. Occasionally, depending on where the fracture occurs, the tooth may not be able to be saved.
Here is a recent intra-oral photograph we took of a patient with some fractures on the tongue side of their lower left molar teeth. Without our intra-oral camera we probably could not have identified for sure the fracture lines within the tooth.
(The information contained in this article is strictly for educational purposes and is not meant to replace the professional knowledge or advice of your personal dentist.)
