How will a cracked tooth be treated? • Full coronal coverage (e.g. crown) is usually indicated.
• A metal band (Fig 1 and 2) can be placed to act as a brace to splint the crack(s) and prevent their further progression prior to crown placement.
• If there are signs and/or symptoms of disease in the pulp, root canal treatment will be done before coronal coverage. The treatment and outcome of a cracked tooth depends on the type, location and extent of the crack. Your endodontist is the best person to advise you on the appropriate treatment.
After treatment for a cracked tooth, will my tooth completely heal?After root canal treatment, most cracked teeth will require a permanent crown to continue to function normally. However, it is important to realise that the root canal treatment takes away the pain but will not cure cracks as these are physical defects on the tooth surfaces. Unlike a broken bone, the fracture in a cracked tooth will not heal. Placement of a crown provides protection and retards progression of cracks. Nonetheless, some cracks may continue to progress and separate, resulting in eventual loss of tooth.
