The most common cause of a cracked tooth is from chewing or eating hard items such as ice, popcorn kernels, corn nuts or hard candy. Teeth may also fracture as a result of severe biting trauma, for example from playing contact sports without a mouth guard, or as a result of an automobile or motorcycle accident. Depending on the depth and severity of the fracture, the tooth may be saved with root canal treatment and a crown. The diagrams below illustrate cracked teeth and cases diagnosed and treated by Dr. Harmon.
In the case below, the patient presented with pain on biting and was diagnosed with a crown fracture. After root canal treatment and a crown, the biting pain went away and the tooth was saved.
A tooth with a moderate crown-root fracture can often be saved. In the case below, the patient presented with pain on biting and a fractured crown. After restoring the tooth with a crown, the biting pain went away. Root canal treatment was not necessary in this case.
A tooth with a severe crown-root fracture often cannot be saved. In the example below, the patient was involved in an automobile accident in 1998, and in January 2006 presented with a crown-root fracture and a chronic bone infection. Unfortunately, due to the depth and severity of the fracture, the tooth could not be saved and was extracted.
