Is a Cracked Tooth a Dental Emergency?

If sipping a cold drink or chewing a piece of candy causes a sudden surge of pain, you might have a cracked tooth — even if you can’t see it.

A cracked tooth always requires a dental checkup to relieve pain and prevent complications like decay and infections. However, it’s not always a dental emergency.

Roy Hudgens and our exceptional team at Hudgens Dental provide comprehensive care, including emergency dentistry when a cracked tooth needs immediate attention and high-quality restorative dentistry to repair the problem and restore your dental health.

About cracked teeth

Despite their strength, teeth can develop cracks for many reasons. Some of the most common include:

• Biting hard foods like candy, popcorn kernels, or ice
• Having a large filling or root canal that weakens the tooth
• Grinding your teeth 
• Taking a hit to your mouth during a fall, athletics, or car accident
• Developing weak enamel due to aging and wear-and-tear

Cracks vary in size and appearance. For example, you may have:

• Vertical crack: running from the biting surface up to your gum
• Hairline cracks (craze lines): thin cracks in the enamel
• Fractured cusp: a crack around a dental filling
• Split tooth: the crack splits the tooth into two parts
• Vertical root fracture: a crack that starts below the gum line and moves to the tooth’s surface

Without treatment, all tooth cracks can progressively worsen.

Symptoms alerting you to a cracked tooth

Tooth sensitivity is usually the first sign of a crack. The tooth may become overly sensitive to cold, hot, and sweet foods and drinks, triggering sudden pain when they touch the damaged area.

The pressure when biting or chewing may also cause pain. If an infection develops, you'll have signs like swollen gums and a severe toothache.

When to seek emergency care for a cracked tooth

Whether you need emergency dentistry depends on the severity of your symptoms. Generally, seek immediate dental care when you have:

Unbearable pain or pain that doesn’t improve

If you have unbearable dental pain or pain that doesn’t improve with over-the-counter medications, seek an emergency dental appointment. By the time this type of pain occurs, you may already have a severe infection that can erode the bone and lead to tooth loss.

Swelling in your gums or face

Swelling may occur if a traumatic injury causes your cracked tooth. It may also signal a gum or pulp infection. Swelling always warrants a dental checkup to treat the underlying problem.

Bleeding that doesn’t stop

A traumatic accident may do more than crack your tooth. You may also have bleeding from injured gums and cheeks.

Place a piece of gauze or clean cloth against the area and apply gentle pressure for 10 minutes or until the bleeding stops. If the injury doesn’t stop bleeding, call our office or go to the emergency room immediately.

Difficulty eating and drinking

When a sensitive tooth stops you from eating or drinking, you need prompt dental attention. 

Discolored tooth

If the crack leads to bleeding inside the tooth or nerve damage, your tooth may darken or change color. These changes are signs you need emergency treatment.

Why a cracked tooth should always be evaluated

It only takes a tiny crack to create an opening that lets bacteria enter the tooth. Once bacteria invade, the tooth decays and an infection can develop inside the pulp (the area in the middle of each tooth where nerves and blood vessels reside).

Some cracks extend below the gumline, directly affecting the tooth root and gradually causing more significant problems like a painful infection. Additionally, a crack can eventually cause the tooth to break apart.

Scheduling a dental checkup at the first sign of a cracked tooth allows us to repair the problem, restore the tooth, and prevent complications.

Not sure if you need emergency dentistry?

Call our office if you’re uncertain about the level of care you need, and we’ll quickly evaluate your symptoms and recommend the next step. If you’re sure you don’t need emergency care, you can also request an appointment online.