Your teeth are prone to crack. Yet, the molars are the most vulnerable to cracks and fractures due to the chewing forces they absorb. What’s more tricky is that you don’t usually notice the cracks until you feel a little pain every time you chew. This is one of the signs that you may have a cracked tooth syndrome. Most dentists address this problem with a dental crown treatment. Read on to understand more about this syndrome and to know the treatment options.
What is a cracked tooth syndrome?
Anyone who has an incompletely cracked tooth is experiencing a condition called cracked tooth syndrome or CTS. It means that one of his teeth is fractured yet no part of it has broken off. In most cases, a dental crown procedure is necessary to save that fractured tooth.
The patient may feel pain when chewing or biting on hard food when it’s left untreated. That’s because the food particles get stuck in between the cracks and irritate the soft tissues of the patient’s tooth. Remember that once a patient’s tooth is fractured, it does not heal on its own. The patient needs a dental crown so the tooth is covered and further cracks are prevented.
Other notable symptoms include swollen gums surrounding the compromised tooth and sensitivity to temperature and sweet food. If you experience any of these, seek for dental consultation at once. Your dentist will visually check your teeth to determine the severity of the fracture. If he sees that there are vertical cracks reaching your gum line, he will proceed with the dental crown procedure.
How a dental crown saves your cracked tooth?
Your dentist will clean the tooth first to prepare it for the treatment. After cleaning, he numbs the treatment area with a local anesthetic. Next, he files on the sides of the tooth and on the chewing surface to prepare it for the dental crown. Then he takes a digital impression of your teeth and sends it to the machine that will craft your crown. You can choose between ceramic or porcelain material for your tooth crown. Once it’s ready, your dentist will fit it on your tooth first before cementing it permanently. It’s also trimmed and polished for aesthetic purposes. The permanent crown will encase your cracked tooth to fully restore its structure and aesthetics.
Traditionally, dentists complete this procedure in two dental visits, with each appointment at one and a half hours. However, more dental clinics have adapted to modern technologies in performing a dental crown procedure for two hours in one appointment.
Don’t delay in seeking treatment if you have any of the cracked tooth symptoms. See your dentist immediately and request for a dental crown in Waterloo, Ontario. In some cases, a root canal treatment is needed to disinfect the roots of the tooth prior to a crown placement. Yet, when the tooth is beyond saving, it needs to be removed to save the neighboring teeth.
