You bite into something ordinary and feel a quick, sharp jolt in one tooth. Sometimes it happens as you release the bite rather than as you clamp down. Then it is gone, and the tooth feels fine for days until it happens again.
That on-and-off pattern is one of the most common signs of a cracked tooth. Because the pain comes and goes, and it can be hard to tell which tooth is responsible, many people wait longer than they would with a steady toothache.
With seventy years of caring for families across Vestal and the Greater Binghamton area, our doctors see cracked teeth often. Here is why they happen, how we find them, and how treatment changes depending on how far the crack has traveled.
Healthy enamel is remarkably strong, but it is not unbreakable. A few factors make cracks much more likely:
Clenching and grinding. Many people grind their teeth at night without knowing it, placing heavy force on the back teeth for hours at a time. Our article on teeth grinding and jaw clenching covers the signs.
Large older fillings. A big filling leaves less natural tooth around it, and the remaining walls can flex and crack over time. This is especially common with older silver fillings, which we discussed in our post on replacing amalgam fillings.
Hard foods and habits. Ice, popcorn kernels, hard candy, and using teeth to open packages can all be the final stress on a tooth that was already weakened.
Cracks are often invisible on a standard x-ray, because they usually run in a direction the image cannot capture. That is why a careful hands-on exam matters so much.
We start by listening to how and when the pain happens, then test individual parts of each tooth with a small bite instrument to find the one that responds. A bright light shone through the tooth can reveal a crack line, and our digital intraoral camera lets you see on screen exactly what we are seeing.
Digital x-rays with our DEXIS sensors help rule out other causes such as decay or infection. When we need to look at the bone around a tooth more closely, our Orthophos SL 3D imaging provides a three-dimensional view.
Fine lines limited to the outer enamel, called craze lines, are very common in adult teeth and usually need no treatment at all.
When a corner of a tooth breaks off, often around a large filling, the tooth can usually be restored with an onlay or crown. These cracks rarely reach the nerve.
When a crack runs deeper, a crown holds the tooth together and protects it from flexing further. Earlier treatment generally means a simpler result. Our dental crowns page explains the process, and with our CEREC single day crowns, many patients leave with their permanent crown the same day.
If the crack has reached the nerve inside the tooth, a root canal treatment comes first, followed by a crown. Our rotary endodontic instruments make the procedure efficient and comfortable, and our post on what to expect during a root canal walks through it step by step.
When a crack divides a tooth completely or runs down the root, the tooth usually cannot be saved. In that case, we remove it gently, preserve the socket, and plan a replacement such as a single tooth dental implant.
If you have swelling or severe pain, our emergency dental care page explains how to reach us quickly.
Once a cracked tooth is treated, the next step is reducing the stress that caused it. For patients who grind or clench, a custom occlusal night guard absorbs nighttime forces and protects both natural teeth and new crowns.
Patients visit us from Vestal, Endwell, Owego, and throughout the Southern Tier, including many from Endicott for restorative and implant care. If a tooth has been giving you that sharp, occasional pain, call Vestal Dental Associates at (607) 785-3339 or request an appointment online. Finding a crack early is the simplest way to keep the tooth, and we will help you do exactly that.