You might just think of an Endodontist in regards to root canals or gum surgery. This is mainly what they do. However, they also handle dramatic dental injuries when they occur. Their overall goal is to save your natural teeth whenever possible. An endodontist will always look at all treatment options to determine the best course of action for your individual case. In many cases, a damaged tooth can be saved with endodontic treatment.
How do teeth crack?
There are many reasons teeth can crack.
- Pressure from teeth grinding
- Fillings so large they weaken the integrity of the tooth
- Chewing or biting hard foods, such as ice, nuts, or hard candy
- Blows to the mouth, such as might happen with a car accident, sporting injury, fall, or even a fistfight
- Abrupt changes in temperature in the mouth — for instance, from eating something extremely hot and then trying to cool your mouth with ice water
- Age, with most teeth cracks occurring in people over 50
Symptoms
Here are some symptoms that could mean you have a cracked tooth:
- Pain when chewing or biting, especially when you release the bite.
- Sensitivity to heat, cold, or sweetness.
- Pain that comes and goes but is rarely continuous.
- Swelling of the gum around the affected tooth.
Treatment depends on the size of the crack, where it’s located, your symptoms, and whether the crack extends into the gum line.
Why see an Endodontist for a cracked tooth?
An Endodontist’s goal is to save your natural teeth whenever possible. They will always look at all treatment options to determine the best course of action for your individual case. Endodontists are specialists because they’ve completed an additional two or more years of training beyond dental school. Their additional training focuses on diagnosing tooth pain and performing root canal treatment and other procedures relating to the interior of the tooth. In many cases, a cracked tooth can be saved with endodontic treatment.
Endodontists work in a microscopic environment inside of teeth. They do this with the aid of advanced material and technology to guide treatment primarily with the operating microscope.
Conclusion
It’s important to take care of real tooth pain as soon as possible. Putting off treatment could cause you more pain and you may lose your tooth. Besides, with precision technology and advanced training, endodontists can usually get you feeling better and back to work the same day. If you have any of the above symptoms contact us now to schedule an appointment.
Sincerely,
Dr. J.D. Simonton
Modern Care Endodontics