How Serious is Cracked Tooth?

While a cracked tooth may commonly happen to adults, it is important that treatment is taken seriously and done as soon as possible to prevent further damage to the impacted tooth. If not treated in a timely manner, it could lead to long-term issues like pain and sensitivity, tooth loss, and other serious medical issues.

Cracked tooth symptoms

In some cases, a small crack can go unnoticed because it is not too deep into the tooth, but once the crack forms further down the tooth, the symptoms can be more serious. Some examples of symptoms are:

  1. Tooth sensitivity to cold, hot foods or drinks, sweet foods, or even air moving through the mouth.
  2. Sharp pain when chewing or biting into foods, most commonly happening when releasing the bite.
  3. Not too often continuous, but a coming and going pain in the area where the tooth is cracked.
  4. Gums are swollen around the cracked tooth area, which is a sure sign of possible exposure to the root of the tooth.

If the tooth is left untreated for too long, or the damage is that severe, the complications are quite bothersome and can affect the daily life of a person. The biggest complication of a cracked tooth is the infection that comes with it once the nerve is exposed to harmful bacteria. This is a dental infection called a tooth abscess, where pus starts to form in the gums, which causes swelling and pain. The symptoms of this may include:

  1. There is pain while chewing
  2. Bad breath
  3. Glands in the neck are tender and swollen
  4. Swollen gums in the affected area
  5. Cold or heat causing tooth sensitivity
  6. A fever that follows the infection

In an effort to help alleviate these symptoms for the patient, the dentist may opt to attempt to drain the pus from the affected area. This helps release the infected bacteria and pressure on that area. To ensure the infection doesn’t get worse, the dentist will also prescribe an antibiotic to kill off that bacterium, so that the body can properly fight off the infection and heal.

Cost of treatment

Another reason why a cracked tooth is serious is the cost of treatment, depending on how serious the tooth is. The cost may vary depending on the area the patient lives in and how serious and extensive the treatment process is. Generally, the expected cost for treatment can be estimated as follows:

  1. Dental bonding (depending on how complex) – $100 – $1,000
  2. Per crown and based on the material used for the crown – $1,000 – $1,500
  3. A root canal (dependent on the location of the tooth) – $500 – $2,000

In a last-ditch effort, or if the damage is too extensive and the tooth cannot be salvaged, then the dentist may have to remove the tooth entirely. This is not a light choice to make, and the area needs to be covered after removal. This is considered one of the cheaper options since the tooth cannot be saved, and the price can range from $150 to $250, depending on the tooth location.

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