Anyone ever experience a cracked tooth?

mrCide

Diamond Member
Nov 27, 1999
6,187
0
76
I don't mean a chip, but a crack in a molar or something along those lines. Couple months ago I bit down on something and it hurt pretty bad, and ever since an awkward bite on something hard (bit of bone or seed shell or something) is pretty excruciating.

So I go see a dentist, and I have no cavities. Great.. he recommends me to "specialist" for cracked tooth syndrome.

Anyone experience dealing with this and how much of a bitch it's going to be? Not happy about what google search results is telling me about it.
 

sdifox

No Lifer
Sep 30, 2005
98,729
17,214
126
oui. basically you have to do root canal + crown.

for Molars in the back that are not very visible, go with the metal crowns, stronger and cheaper.
 

weadjust

Senior member
Mar 28, 2004
636
0
71
The most painful thing I experienced when I cracked a molar was extracting the cash out my pocket to pay the denist.
 

sdifox

No Lifer
Sep 30, 2005
98,729
17,214
126
The most painful thing I experienced when I cracked a molar was extracting the cash out my pocket to pay the denist.

lucky you. I had a micro fracture and my jaw became inflammated. couldn't sleep.
 

PowerEngineer

Diamond Member
Oct 22, 2001
3,583
756
136
Root canal is a possibility, but in my case the dentist just capped the cracked tooth. Not exactly a pleasent process as they have to grind the tooth down to make room for the cap, then a take mold from which they make the permanent cap. Until then (1-2 weeks?), you run around with a temporary cap. That was several years ago and never any problems with that tooth since.
 

sdifox

No Lifer
Sep 30, 2005
98,729
17,214
126
Root canal is a possibility, but in my case the dentist just capped the cracked tooth. Not exactly a pleasent process as they have to grind the tooth down to make room for the cap, then a take mold from which they make the permanent cap. Until then (1-2 weeks?), you run around with a temporary cap. That was several years ago and never any problems with that tooth since.

op is feeling pain masticating, which means the nerve is exposed. I am thinking he will need to rool canal, but he might get lucky.
 

BoomerD

No Lifer
Feb 26, 2006
65,603
13,981
146
I cracked a dammed tooth earlier this year The dentist said even a root canal with crown/cap wouldn't fix it since it had cracked all the way through. He pulled it...it was my "12 year molar" and didn't want to come out...so it took some oral surgery to get the roots loose.
Wouldn't have been so bad, except that since I have high blood pressure, (controlled by meds) he use a type of "novacaine" that doesn't affect high blood pressure...but it wears off very quickly. (never knew there was such a thing)...By the time I was out of the chair, it was already starting to wear off, and by the time I got home, it was ~75% gone...I actually broke down and took a vicodan...and a benadryl since I'm allergic to hydrocodone.
 

moshquerade

No Lifer
Nov 1, 2001
61,504
12
56
I cracked a dammed tooth earlier this year The dentist said even a root canal with crown/cap wouldn't fix it since it had cracked all the way through. He pulled it...it was my "12 year molar" and didn't want to come out...so it took some oral surgery to get the roots loose.
Wouldn't have been so bad, except that since I have high blood pressure, (controlled by meds) he use a type of "novacaine" that doesn't affect high blood pressure...but it wears off very quickly. (never knew there was such a thing)...By the time I was out of the chair, it was already starting to wear off, and by the time I got home, it was ~75% gone...I actually broke down and took a vicodan...and a benadryl since I'm allergic to hydrocodone.
yeh, the 'novocaine' probably didn't have the usual epinephrine in it which is a vasoconstrictor and can elevate blood pressure.
 

OrByte

Diamond Member
Jul 21, 2000
9,303
144
106
I had a cracked molar. Dentist said it was from an old silver filling.

new filling put in place...tada! all done.
 

Udgnim

Diamond Member
Apr 16, 2008
3,679
122
106
not a cracked tooth, but I have a hole in a filling

probably should get it fixed, but I don't really feel pain there so /shrug

I definitely do what I can to remove whatever food gets stuck in the hole though
 

AgentUnknown

Golden Member
Apr 10, 2003
1,527
5
81
Sometimes you cannot see the crack on the xray. It may be fractured all the way to the bone. If that's the case, the tooth is not savagable. But if it can, then save it. It might not be worth it to save considering an implant and crown is up there with RCT, b/u and crown.
 

mrCide

Diamond Member
Nov 27, 1999
6,187
0
76
Ah man, you guys basically confirmed the stuff I read. Crown at the minimum, root canal likely, and worst case scenario is pull the tooth. Why couldn't it have just been a cavity? I'm wondering if the dentist will be able to find the crack or if it's going to be guess work like I've read.
 

meltdown75

Lifer
Nov 17, 2004
37,548
7
81
one of my bottom teeth is cracked from the top to the bottom... i can't feel anything though. knock on wood
 

bignateyk

Lifer
Apr 22, 2002
11,288
7
0
I've suffered two broken teeth. I broke my top right front tooth when I went face first into a gym floor in elementary school.

Then about a year ago my 80lb german shepherd puppy jumped up when I wasn't expecting it and the top of his head hit me square under the chin. It shattered by bottom right tooth in addition to the top right front tooth that had already been broken.
 

Ancalagon44

Diamond Member
Feb 17, 2010
3,274
202
106
I actually cracked a tooth on Saturday! Quite a bad crack too, as in about a quarter of it disappeared down my throat. Unless thats considered a chip?

Anyway, I saw the dentist this morning. There was an old silver filling in that tooth, quite a deep one, and somehow a large piece of the tooth itself came off. She did a white filling, mouth still kinda sore.

She then recommended I go for teeth cleaning in 2 weeks followed by a crown in another 2 weeks. Apparently without a crown it will just crack again.

EDIT: Oh, apparently a root canal isnt necessary, but if the tooth causes me pain, it will be necessary.
 

Fritzo

Lifer
Jan 3, 2001
41,920
2,161
126
I have a cracked molar right now. Just happens as you get older.

There's this stuff that you can buy at the drug store that essentially plugs the crack (it's the same stuff dentists use for temporary fillings). It works really well to make the tooth functional until you can get a crown put on it.

Figure $800-$1000 for a crown :(
 

Number1

Diamond Member
Feb 24, 2006
7,881
549
126
One my rats did. Had to have the tooth removed. He didn't survive. :(


Pretty sad story, RIP little one.

Hang in there buddy, where there is one there are probably dozens, soon you'll find a replacement.
 

JoeBleed

Golden Member
Jun 27, 2000
1,408
30
91
Root canal is a possibility, but in my case the dentist just capped the cracked tooth. Not exactly a pleasent process as they have to grind the tooth down to make room for the cap, then a take mold from which they make the permanent cap. Until then (1-2 weeks?), you run around with a temporary cap. That was several years ago and never any problems with that tooth since.

Exact same thing for my cracked tooth. No root canal. Before this though, the densest did try and do something like a filling to see if it would hold it together. It didn't. No problems with it after the cap. Its been about 6-8 years now.
 

mrCide

Diamond Member
Nov 27, 1999
6,187
0
76
I have a cracked molar right now. Just happens as you get older.

There's this stuff that you can buy at the drug store that essentially plugs the crack (it's the same stuff dentists use for temporary fillings). It works really well to make the tooth functional until you can get a crown put on it.

Figure $800-$1000 for a crown :(

Was it noticeable? Problem is my dentist doesn't see anything so it's going to be difficult to diagnose, that's my biggest worry.