Tooth Fracture
A tooth fracture is a break or crack in the hard shell of the tooth.
A tooth fracture can be of different types depending upon the extent of the tooth involved. A minor tooth fracture may usually involve chipping or cracking of the upper layer of tooth i.e. enamel only. A deeper tooth fracture may involve both the enamel and the dentin leading to the loss of a larger segment of the tooth.
Treatments for cracked teeth include:
Gluing on the chipped or broken part of a tooth
Repairing the crack with plastic resin, in a process called bonding
Using a crown, which is a cap that entirely covers the cracked tooth
In the most severe cases, when a crack has penetrated the pulp of the tooth, root canal treatment may be necessary. If a tooth is badly cracked, a dentist may remove it altogether.