What Dental Cracks Are the Most Common?

All dental cracks are not the same. Cracks in the teeth can be caused from a variety of factors, including tooth grinding, large fillings, trauma, and biting down on hard foods, so the resulting cracks are quite different. These are some of the most common.

Oblique Supragingival Crack

You know you cracked your tooth because you can see a line on the crown, but it doesn’t seem to hurt too badly. In this scenario, chances are good that you’ve got an oblique supragingival crack. The damage only affects the crown and doesn’t extend below the gums.

Oblique Subgingival Crack

On the other hand, if you can see a crack and the tooth is quite painful, the crack probably extends into the deeper portions of the tooth. This is known as an oblique subgingival crack, and it likely requires a crown in order to restore the tooth.

Split Tooth

A tooth that is split entirely will need immediate dental treatment. Often, we are only able to save one half of the tooth, and a root canal and crown will also be required.

Cusp Fracture

If the cusp of the tooth fractures near the chewing surface of the molar, it is known as a fractured cusp. These most commonly occur around dental fillings.

Oblique Root Cracks

These cracks are harder to identify with the naked eye, as they don’t appear on the tooth surface. The damage occurs below the gums, and in many cases, tooth extraction is the only option for treating this crack. Fortunately, dental implants and other restorations are available.

If your tooth cracks, it is important that you get into our office for an appointment as soon as possible. This could mean the difference between saving your tooth and extraction. Call us today to set up an appointment and to find out how we can help.