Dental problems are one of the most painful forms of medical complications and, while they will usually not have any life threatening outcomes, they will have a very debilitating effect on a patient’s daily schedule, preventing him or her from mentally concentrating on any actions being performed. A broken tooth is especially painful because of the fact that it also interferes substantially with a person’s dietary habits and can cause difficulty when chewing on solid foods. Cracked tooth syndrome is a dental problem that is characterized by the presence of cracks especially on the lower back teeth. In most cases, these cracks are too small to show up on X-rays. The primary reason that the molars tend to be the most commonly affected teeth when suffering from cracked tooth syndrome is the fact that they tend to absorb most of the force while chewing. Some of the factors that influence the development of cracked tooth syndrome include applying extra force on a specific area of the mouth when chewing. This results in the application of extra pressure on the teeth located in this region causing the teeth to crack. If a person has the tendency to gnash or clench his or her teeth, the chances of suffering from cracked teeth increase significantly.
It is also important to point out the fact that teeth that have large fillings or have previously undergone a root canal are generally more susceptible to cracks. This happens because these teeth tend to be much weaker than your other teeth. The primary symptoms that a patient will experience when suffering from cracked tooth syndrome include substantial pain when performing actions like chewing or biting in a specific way. The more severe cases of the condition may also generate an intense headache.
Because of the fact that cracked teeth are a very common occurrence, a number of home remedies are available to help ease the irritation and discomfort. If the crack or break was the result of a traumatic experience and there is some amount of bleeding, apply a piece of gauze over the area for about 10 minutes to stop the bleeding. The application of a cold compress over the cheek around the area of the cracked tooth will help reduce the swelling as well as the pain. It is important that you visit your dentist as soon as possible to prevent the onset of any infection given the very susceptible condition of the cracked tooth.
answered by A S