At E. John Moreno, DMD, Dr. John Moreno and our team are happy to help our patients in Aliso Viejo, California with all of their oral care needs. Were you aware that tooth enamel is the hardest substance in the body, even harder than the bones? Well, it’s true! But those pearly whites can still be injured and sustain cracked or fractured teeth.
While you can’t always tell if you have a cracked tooth, if you feel a sharp pain when you bite down on your food which stops when you stop putting pressure on your tooth, your tooth may have a fracture. A tooth can crack for a number of reasons:
- If you chew on hard objects such as ice, hard candy, or hard nuts you can fracture a tooth.
- A blow to the mouth can crack a tooth.
- If tooth enamel is exposed to temperature extremes, your tooth can crack. So if you are eating hot soup, don’t be tempted to sip ice water with it.
- Your teeth can crack if you persistently grind or clench your teeth (also known as bruxism).
To repair a cracked tooth, Dr. John Moreno will first examine the tooth to determine proper treatment. For example, if the tooth has minor cracks, bonding with a tooth-colored composite resin or dental filling may be all that will be required. However, if the damage is severe or affecting the tooth pulp, the tooth may require extraction, requiring a root canal.
If you are suffering from the effects of a cracked tooth, please call us at 949-487-9220 as soon as possible. Until you are seen by Dr. John Moreno, avoid chewing on that side of your mouth, take acetaminophen or over-the-counter pain reliever as needed, and rinse with salt water for relief.  Our E. John Moreno, DMD team in Aliso Viejo, California, is happy to help you restore your confident smile!