Symptoms of a cracked tooth

admin — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 16:31:34 +0000

Symptoms of a cracked tooth. You may experience pain in the tooth when you bite or chew. However, it probably will not happen all the time. The tooth may be painful only when you eat certain foods or when you bite in a specific way. You will not feel a constant ache, as you would if you had a cavity or abscess, but the tooth may be more sensitive to cold temperatures. If the crack worsens, the tooth may become loose. Many people with cracked tooth syndrome have symptoms for months, but it’s often difficult to diagnose because the symptoms are not consistent. If you are experiencing these symptoms let either the doctor or hygienists know. Ultimately the need to restore the tooth with a crown or other restorative option may be necessary.

Cracked Teeth

admin — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 14:42:11 +0000

We often see patients with cracked teeth. Did you ever wonder what might be the cause? When growing up if we had a cavity most of us received an amalgam (silver-mercury) filling to restore it. Amalgam (silver-mercury) fillings were common. The problem with silver-mercury fillings is what they are made of and how they are used to fill a tooth. Usually the decayed area of the tooth is removed leaving a “hole” behind. Silver-mercury filling material is them mixed and placed in the hole. No adhesive is used so there is no seal provided to the tooth. Without a seal, saliva and other materials can slowly leak under and around the edges of the filling. As this occurs over time slowly the tooth can get a new cavity deep underneath the filling. This new decay can go undetected for years not being seen through the tooth or even visible in an x-ray until it is too late. When chewing on the tooth suddenly the silver filling can shift causing the tooth to crack. Also, once you realize that silver-mercury fillings are made up of 50% mercury you can understand how they crack teeth. What happens to mercury in a thermometer on a cold or hot day? It expands and contracts depending on the temperature. Well, silver-mercury fillings do the same thing when we eat something hot or cold. They also expand or contract 6 times more that the tooth. Expansion and contraction of the silver-mercury filling inside the tooth pushes against the parts of the tooth eventually causing it to break. We often recommend removing silver-mercury fillings for these reasons. A variety of other options such as, porcelain restorations, gold restorations and composite restorations are available to restore your tooth to its natural strength and appearance.

Palm beach cosmetic dentist blog » Cracked teeth

Symptoms of a cracked tooth

Cracked Teeth