There are many causes for a cracked tooth, such as clenching, grinding, biting on hard objects and large fillings. Pain is caused when the nerve inside the tooth is inflamed as a result of the crack. Depending on the nature and severity of the crack, the nerve may heal or it may become irreversibly damaged requiring a root canal.

The pain is usually felt on chewing, release of biting pressure or in response to temperature change. It may grow over time, be constant or it may come and go unpredictably. Since the cause of the pain is a result of the pieces of the cracked tooth moving against one another, the best treatment option long-term is crowning the tooth, providing much needed stability.

When a crack is found, it is best to go ahead and have it treated even though it may not hurt or may have never hurt before. Left untreated it usually worsens leading to more extensive cracks, pain, infection, root canals and sometimes even extraction. There is more control of the procedure and more long-term predictability if treated early.