What’s happening in this Animation?

The crack can be really hard to see, even on X-rays, but it can still cause sharp pain when someone bites down, especially when they release the bite. It can also make the tooth sensitive to hot, cold, or sweet things. The tricky part is that the pain can come and go, and it’s not always easy to tell which tooth is causing it. It’s kind of like having a hairline fracture — small but irritating.

Treatment depends on how deep the crack is. Sometimes we can fix it with a filling, but if it’s more serious, we might need to place a crown to protect the tooth. If the crack reaches the nerve, then a root canal might be needed. And in rare cases, if the crack is too deep, the tooth might need to be removed. The key is catching it early before the crack gets worse.