Cracked Tooth Syndrome (CTS)

Teeth often crack when subjected to chewing hard things such as nuts, candy, or ice. This can happen in teeth with or without restorations, but most likely in teeth with old large silver or white fillings.

Signs and Symptoms

• Pain on chewing.
• Pain with cold air or water application.
• Decay and x-ray evidence are not always present.
• Easy verification by the dentist when preparing the tooth, ie; pieces of the tooth structure will chip off during the procedure.

Treatment for CTS

• Simple crack- the majority (9/10) of cracked teeth are fixed by  placing a crown or cap over them. This helps hold the tooth structure together and eliminates the symptoms.
• Complex crack- in some cases (1/10) the crack may extend into the nerve. This requires root canal treatment, then the placement of a crown to hold it together.
• Tooth cracked in half- Occasionally the tooth may be cracked into unsavable pieces, which will require extraction.