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FAQ: Dental Crowns

Sensitive Teeth Loose Crowns Gold vs Porcelain Crown Lengthening	Leakage Historical Standard How To Prevent Failures Crowns - Getting it Right the First Time
Videos: Diagnosing New Crown Bite Pain Emergency Crown Care Crown Removal - Replacement Procedures Temporaries - One Day Implant

Question:
Cracks: I have a crack in my front tooth dental crown.

Can an x-ray detect this crack? Also can an x-ray detect a crack in a back tooth?

Also if I get a root canal, but leave the tooth cracked, with food getting in, will I get gum disease? ...Visitor from WI

Answer:
Cracks are very difficult to see unless they are large. Then they can be seen with stains, shining light through the crack to see it through transillumination or if it is radiating down the tooth from a filling and is stained with plaque or debris.

The greatest tool in detecting a crack is a stick we call the frac finder or fracture finder. It is a way to have the patient bite selectively on different parts of the tooth until a painful point is reached.

This is the strongest indicator of fracture we have and often necessitates removal of the filling, removal of as much of the crack as possible, a bonded filling and a temporary crown until the symptoms subside.

If the tooth can't be calmed down, a root canal procedure can be performed to remove the nerve and painful stimuli. If all is done and pain remains, the tooth will need to be removed.

Cracks can only be seen on x-rays if they are horizontal and the angle of the film is such that the crack shows up. Deviation of the x-ray beam too high or too low can miss the fracture so x-rays by themselves are not that valuable in detecting fractures.

Cracks cause separation of the ligament from the tooth so a pocket may form around the area of the fracture. This is not gum disease but an area where the ligament can not remain attached to the tooth due to the crack.

Cracks don't cause gum disease. Bacteria and poor oral hygiene and smoking are some of the causes and factors involved in gum disease along with genetics, and proper visits to the dentist.

Wisconsin Reconstructive Implant Dentistry
Richard Winter, DDS MAGD
Winter Dental Associates
5323 W. Hampton Avenue
Milwaukee Wisconsin WI 53218
(414) 464-9021

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