If you develop a cavity, or break or lose a tooth, chances are good that you will know it right away. You will have the pieces of your tooth, or the tooth itself. There may be blood and in most cases, there will almost certainly be some pain. Naturally, you will call you dentist and schedule an appointment for a soon as possible. But not all tooth damage is that easily detected. For example, you may have a cracked tooth and not even be aware of it.

In some cases, a crack in your tooth may be so small that your dentist does not see it during your regular exam. In fact, the crack may be so fine that it doesn’t even show up during an x-ray. But, no matter how small the crack may be, there is still enough space for bacteria to make its way into your tooth and cause a cavity or even an infection. So how do you know if you have a cracked tooth? A good clue is pain. You will not be in constant pain. The pain from a cracked tooth may be sharp or dull, but it will be brief. You will probably experience it when you are biting or chewing, or if you are eating or drinking something hot, cold or sweet.  Make a note of where in your mouth the pain occurs, and what you were doing when you felt the pain. That will give your dentist a good place to start looking for the crack. Depending on the severity of the damage, your dentist may need to place a crown on your tooth, or give you a filling. If the damage is too severe, you may require a root canal.

If you are feeling pain anywhere in your mouth, your dentist needs to know about it as soon as possible. If you live in the Stevens Point. Wisconsin, area and would like to make an appointment to see Dr. Tyler Christopherson at Christopherson Family Dentistry, call 715-952-5920 today. Whether it is a cracked tooth or your routine cleaning and exam, we’ll be happy to help!