Do you have a Cracked Tooth?

When you bite down you feel a sharp pain. It quickly disappears and you ignore it. You avoid certain foods or chew on only one side of your mouth. Does this sound familiar ? If so you may have a cracked tooth.

A cracked tooth maybe the result of an accident, uneven chewing pressure, endodontically treated teeth that become brittle or grinding or clenching your teeth. It is often difficult to tell if a tooth is cracked or not.
A cracked tooth hurts because the pressure of biting causes the crack to open. When you stop biting the pressure is released and results in a sharp pain. Treatment of cracked teeth varies from bonding to root canal treatment. Severe cases need extraction though. Regular visits to the dentist are important in the management of cracked teeth.

Source:www.ada.org