Cracked tooth syndrome is a medical condition in which a partial crack extends through the dentin

Dentin

Dentine is a calcified tissue of the body, and along with enamel, cementum, and pulp is one of the four major components of teeth. Usually, it is covered by enamel on the crown and cementum on the root and surrounds the entire pulp...

, and occasionally through the pulp

Pulp (tooth)

The dental pulp is the part in the center of a tooth made up of living connective tissue and cells called odontoblasts.- Anatomy :Each person can have a total of up to 52 pulp organs, 32 in the permanent and 20 in the primary teeth....

 of a tooth

Tooth

Teeth are small, calcified, whitish structures found in the jaws of many vertebrates that are used to break down food. Some animals, particularly carnivores, also use teeth for hunting or for defensive purposes. The roots of teeth are embedded in the Mandible bone or the Maxillary bone and are...

.

Classification

Since there is a fairly extensive list of classifications for cracked teeth, it is often difficult for doctors to find a correct diagnosis

Diagnosis

Diagnosis is the identification of the nature and cause of anything. Diagnosis is used in many different disciplines with variations in the use of logics, analytics, and experience to determine the cause and effect relationships...

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Symptoms

Symptoms vary, however CTS is characterized by sharp fleeting pain intitiated only when biting on an object, not just when the tooth contacts another tooth. The pain is inconsistent, and frequently hard to reproduce.

Diagnosis

When diagnosing cracked tooth syndrome, a doctor takes many factors into consideration. A bite-test is commonly performed to confirm the diagnosis, in which the patient bites down on either a Q-tip

Cotton swab

Cotton swabs or cotton buds or ear buds consist of a small wad of cotton wrapped around one or both ends of a short rod, usually made of either wood, rolled paper, or plastic...

, cotton roll, or a medical instrument called the Tooth Slooth.

Treatments

• Root Canal
• Stabilization (a band is placed around the tooth to minimize flexing)
• Crown tooth