Broken teeth

A cracked or broken tooth refers to a tooth that has been chipped, cracked or broken, otherwise known as cracked tooth syndrome. It could be a very minor fracture or a visible break.
Cracks in your teeth can vary in length, size and location. Some types of cracked teeth may not cause symptoms, while others can result in severe pain.

• Eating something hard
• Facial trauma following an accident
• Damage from sports
• Untreated cavities can cause a tooth to become brittle and break
• Old, large amalgam fillings, where the remaining structure of the natural tooth can become brittle over a period of time
• Age

The sooner you get a broken tooth treated by your dentist, the better the chance of saving the tooth. The damage will only get worse over time, and it allows bacteria to enter the softer layer of tissue under the enamel and the soft inner part of the tooth. From there, it spreads, and an abscess – a pocket of infected material – can form.