Endodontic therapy might be recommended by an endodontist if you have a cracked tooth. A tooth can become cracked due to biting down on hard things or trauma to the face. Even the smallest crack possible can leave the nerve and blood vessels in a tooth’s pulp chamber exposed to bacteria in the mouth.
The pulp chamber is a tooth’s innermost layer, and it is sealed off from the rest of the tooth. Damage to a tooth can open up the area, making the tooth more vulnerable to infection. A cracked tooth also causes teeth sensitivity and toothaches.
Unlike broken bones, cracked teeth do not heal on their own. Treatments like endodontic therapy might be needed to remove the soft tissues in the tooth and reseal the tooth.
Teeth consist of a few different layers. The enamel is the hard shell of a tooth that surrounds the dentin. The dentin is the hard yellow center of a tooth that protects the pulp chamber. The pulp chamber protects the tooth’s nerves and blood vessels.
The severity of a crack determines if an endodontist can save it. Let us look at a few different types of cracks and how they are treated.
Craze lines: These shallow cracks typically do not require any treatment. The damage only affects the enamel, and it is often not visible. Such cracks often do not need endodontic therapy, but they might need restorative treatments to improve the tooth's appearance.
Fractured cusps: The cusp is the visible portion of a tooth, and there are several ways that it can be cracked.
Vertical cracks: Vertical cracks above the gumline typically require endodontic therapy to treat. However, the tooth typically cannot be saved when the crack extends below the gum or breaks the tooth into two different parts. Extractions are usually recommended when a cracked tooth cannot be saved. The extracted tooth can be replaced with oral prosthetics, like implants.
Endodontic therapy is also called root canal therapy, and it enables dentists to save severely damaged teeth. Some people believe it to be a painful treatment, but local anesthetics are administered during the treatment, so patients do not feel much pain as the dentist works nor when the anesthetic wears off a few hours after the procedure.
The dentist makes a hole into the tooth being treated and uses dental files to remove the soft tissues in the pulp chamber. Antibiotics might be inserted into the tooth before sealing it up with gutta-percha. Teeth that have been restored with root canal therapy are typically covered with crowns to protect them against further damage.
A cracked tooth requires treatment regardless of how minor it might seem. Give us a call or stop by our Ukiah clinic to set up an appointment with our endodontist.
Request an appointment here: https://santarosaendodontics.com or call Santa Rosa Endodontics at (707) 409-1177 for an appointment in our Ukiah office.
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