Your tooth hurts when you bite down, but a few minutes later it feels fine. Or maybe you get a sudden jolt of pain when you drink something cold, even though you cannot see anything wrong with the tooth. When tooth pain comes and goes like this, it can be difficult to know what is causing it or whether you need to see a dentist.
A cracked tooth is one possible cause. Some cracks are easy to spot, but others are difficult to see and may cause only occasional symptoms at first. Knowing the signs of a cracked tooth can help you recognize when unexplained tooth pain should be evaluated.
At Healthy Smiles Dental in Anchorage, we care for both adults and children. If you or your child has unexplained tooth pain, we can determine whether a crack or another dental problem is causing the discomfort and recommend the appropriate treatment.
Signs of a Cracked Tooth to Watch For
Some cracks cause noticeable pain, while others produce symptoms that can be difficult to pinpoint.
Possible signs of a cracked tooth include:
- Sharp pain when biting or chewing
- Pain when you release your bite
- Sensitivity to hot or cold foods and drinks
- Pain that comes and goes rather than remaining constant
- Discomfort that seems to come from a particular area but is difficult to trace to one tooth
- New pain or sensitivity around a tooth with a large filling or other restoration
- Swelling around a tooth or the surrounding gum
According to Cleveland Clinic, a cracked tooth can cause sharp pain when biting, sensitivity to temperature changes, swelling, and pain when chewing. However, cracked teeth do not always cause symptoms.
These symptoms can also occur with other dental problems, so experiencing one or more of them does not necessarily mean that your tooth is cracked. A dental examination is the best way to determine what is causing the discomfort.
Why Can Cracked Tooth Pain Come and Go?
One of the confusing things about a cracked tooth is that the pain may not be constant.
A crack can allow pressure from biting or changes in temperature to irritate the sensitive tissue inside the tooth. This can cause a sudden jolt of pain even when the tooth feels perfectly normal at other times.
You may also find that the tooth hurts only when you bite at a certain angle or eat particular foods. Hot or cold foods and drinks can trigger discomfort as well.
If the pain stops, it can be tempting to assume the problem has gone away. A crack in a tooth does not heal on its own, however, and symptoms can change if the crack progresses.
Can You Have a Cracked Tooth Without Seeing a Crack?
Yes. A cracked tooth can look completely normal when you look at it in the mirror.
Some cracks are very small or are located in areas that are difficult to see. Unlike a chipped tooth, where a piece of the tooth has broken away, a crack can extend through part of the tooth without leaving an obvious missing piece.
Not every line you see on a tooth indicates a serious crack, either. Craze lines are very shallow cracks that affect only the outer enamel. They are common and generally do not cause pain or require treatment. Other cracks can extend deeper into the tooth and require treatment.
This is one reason symptoms such as recurring pain when biting or unexplained sensitivity are worth having evaluated even when the tooth looks normal.
What Causes a Tooth to Crack?
Teeth withstand considerable pressure every day, but they are not indestructible. A tooth can crack suddenly or gradually as it is repeatedly subjected to stress.
Possible causes include:
- Biting down on ice, hard candy, popcorn kernels, or other hard foods
- Grinding or clenching your teeth
- An injury to the mouth
- Wear and tear over time
- Biting unexpectedly on something hard
- Stress on a tooth that has a large filling
Children can crack or damage teeth, too, particularly during falls, sports, or active play. Even if a tooth does not appear broken, pain when biting, new sensitivity, or other changes after an injury are worth having evaluated. At Healthy Smiles Dental, our general dentists provide dental care for children as well as adults, so we can evaluate these symptoms and determine whether a tooth has been damaged.
Repeatedly chewing ice or other very hard foods can place considerable stress on your teeth. This can cause tiny cracks in the enamel or worsen cracks that are already present. Continued stress can allow the damage to progress and potentially lead to a more significant crack.
Sometimes there is an obvious moment when a tooth is damaged. You may bite down on something hard and immediately feel pain. In other cases, a crack can develop over time, making it much harder to identify exactly when the problem began.
How We Evaluate a Suspected Cracked Tooth
When you come to Healthy Smiles Dental with tooth pain, we start by asking you to describe what you are feeling and when it happens. Details such as whether the tooth hurts when you bite or release your bite, or whether hot or cold foods and drinks trigger the pain, can help us narrow down the possible cause.
We will carefully examine the tooth and the surrounding area for signs of a crack or other damage. Because some cracks can be difficult to see, we may also use additional tests or dental X-rays when appropriate to evaluate the tooth and look for other possible causes of your symptoms.
We also look for other problems that can cause similar symptoms, such as tooth decay or a damaged filling. Our goal is to determine what is actually causing your pain so we can recommend the appropriate treatment.
How Is a Cracked Tooth Treated?
Treatment for a cracked tooth depends on where the crack is located, how far it extends, and whether the inside of the tooth has been affected.
Some teeth can be protected with a restoration such as a crown. If the crack has damaged the pulp inside the tooth, root canal treatment may be needed before the tooth is restored. A tooth with a severe crack that extends too far below the gumline may not be able to be saved.
A cracked tooth does not heal back together like a broken bone. Treatment is intended to protect the tooth, relieve symptoms, and reduce the chance of additional damage.
Having a painful tooth evaluated promptly can help prevent additional damage and allow us to determine which treatment options are appropriate.
Halloween Candy Can Be Hard on More Than Your Enamel
October brings an additional reason to be careful about what you bite.
Some Halloween candies can put the teeth of both adults and children at risk of cracks or chips. Hard candies can potentially crack or chip a tooth if you bite down on them. A tooth may be more vulnerable if it is already weakened by decay, wear, a large filling, or a small existing crack that you may not even know is there. Biting down on something very hard can put additional stress on the tooth and potentially cause existing damage to worsen.
For children, it is worth reminding them not to crunch hard candies or bite down on candy that is difficult to chew. If your child suddenly complains that a tooth hurts after eating Halloween candy, particularly when biting or chewing, take the complaint seriously even if you cannot see anything wrong with the tooth.
Sticky candies present a different problem. Caramels, gummies, and similar treats can cling to teeth and may also pull on fillings or other dental work.
Softer chocolates and other treats that are easy to chew are generally less likely to crack or chip a tooth than hard candies, jawbreakers, or other treats that require a lot of biting force. For children, choosing age-appropriate treats that are easy to chew can also reduce the risk of biting down on something hard enough to damage a tooth.
No matter what type of candy is involved, sudden sharp pain while eating or a broken tooth or filling should not be ignored. Contact Healthy Smiles Dental if you or your child develops tooth pain or dental damage after biting into a Halloween treat.
Do Not Ignore the Signs of a Cracked Tooth
Occasional tooth pain can be easy to put off, particularly when it disappears as quickly as it started. With a cracked tooth, however, the absence of constant pain does not necessarily mean that the problem has resolved.
Pay attention to recurring pain when you bite or chew, sensitivity to temperature, or discomfort that repeatedly returns in the same area. These signs of a cracked tooth are worth having evaluated, even if the tooth looks normal.
If you or your child is experiencing signs of a cracked tooth, contact Healthy Smiles Dental in Anchorage to schedule an evaluation. We provide dental care for children and adults and can determine what is causing the discomfort and recommend the appropriate treatment.