Sometimes the pressure on a tooth from biting, chewing, and jaw clenching is so great that the tooth cracks. Cracked teeth are often sensitive to hot and cold and are painful during biting and chewing.

Cracked teeth are weak and are not able to support as much pressure as healthy teeth. The cracks in teeth may grow and eventually cause a piece of the tooth to break away, especially near a filling.

It is unhealthy to let a cracked tooth go untreated. Bacteria can seep through the crack in the enamel and cause an infection in the pulp (root) of the tooth. This infection can eventually spread down the root of the tooth to the jaw bone and cause an abscess.

Treatment for a cracked or fractured tooth varies depending on the location of the fracture. However, a root canal is almost always required on a cracked tooth.