Cracks in teeth are showing up more and more these days. There are a few reasons for this. First, we’re all living longer and good oral care means that people are keeping their teeth for life. It follows that the older the teeth, the more likely they are to have undergone restorations and root canals and the more likely they are to have cracks.

Another reason we’re seeing more cracks in teeth is because we now have the ability to see them. Since dentists are more aware that cracks in teeth exist, we’re more likely to diagnose them.

Lastly, cracking of teeth may be a sign of the stressful lives many of us lead. Clenching and grinding teeth during stressful moments can definitely have a negative effect and may encourage cracks.

Symptoms of cracked teeth tend to come and go and are often difficult to diagnose. Some patients experience sensitivity to hot and cold, while others experience unexplained, chronic pain. Pain when putting food in a specific area of your mouth is the most common complaint we hear when teeth have cracks.

A fractured cusp is one type of problem which is not as hard to

Pain in your teeth should not be ignored. It's often the first warning sign of a crack.

identify and treat. A fractured cusp may occur in a tooth that has been weakened by a large filling. In this situation, the crack usually has not reached below the gums, so the tooth can often be restored with a crown.

Craze lines (like tiny cracks in porcelain) are present on most adult teeth. They are usually restricted to the enamel of the tooth, but they are not really cracks. When we find them, we usually include them in your chart for future evaluation.

Once again, pain in your teeth should not be ignored. It's often the first warning sign of a crack. Any pain should be a signal to you to have an examination that gets to the root of the problem so appropriate treatment can be rendered.

They're so small that you hate to complain about them, but they can be extremely painful. They're canker sores, and when they're flaring in your mouth, they can make talking and eating miserable.

Most of us don't experience canker sores until we're over the age of ten, and they tend to disappear by the time we're in our twenties. However, some adults continue to get them up to four times per year.

Others may have sores almost continuously. Research shows that women tend to develop cankers more often than men.

Some researchers have suggested that stress or small injuries in the mouth may encourage canker sores. Others note that certain foods-like citrus fruits or acidic foods-may be a factor, and when the cankers appear quite often, immune system problems or nutritional deficiencies may be the cause. Whenever you develop a canker, heed-ing the following advice may speed up the healing process.

Whenever a canker sore persists or becomes excessively painful, or if sores seem to appear over and over again, contact us for a diagnosis. We can help you relieve the pain and be sure the problem you're experiencing is only a minor irritation.