Cracked Tooth

As the name implies the tooth has a crack, which can be because of trauma or if the tooth becomes weak due to some reason. The crack is not visible, and diagnosis is very difficult to make. All we have are the symptoms. A sharp pain is felt while chewing from the specific area, but you cannot pinpoint the tooth.

What causes a tooth to crack

A tooth may crack due to various reasons:
-Chewing on hard objects or foods like ice, nuts or hard candy.
-Trauma or blow to the mouth
-Grinding and clenching of teeth
-Uneven chewing pressure
-Stress on a tooth
-Loss of a significant portion of the tooth structure through wear, large restorations/fillings.
-Exposure of tooth enamel to extreme temperatures, such as eating hot foods and then drinking cold water.
-Brittleness of teeth that have undergone root canal treatment.

Crack vs Craze
There is another condition in which vertical crack like lines are seen. These lines are mostly seen in elderly patient prominently on the front teeth, but they do not have any symptoms of the cracked tooth syndrome. These are called CRAZE lines. Unlike crack these lines are very much visible to the naked eye. These craze lines are considered to be normal.
If you grind or clench your teeth, you should see a dentist about treatment. Grinding can increase your risk of cracked tooth syndrome.