Frequently Asked Questions

Cracked Teeth / Cracked Tooth Syndrome

Date Posted: 1/1/2002

Question What type of forces cause teeth to crack?

Answer Front teeth usually break due to a knock, an accident or during biting. Back teeth can also be fractured from a knock. They are much more likely than front teeth, to crack from forces applied by the jaws slamming together rapidly. This is why sportspeople wear mouthguards to cushion the blow. Other forces occur during sleep because people grind their teeth with a much greater force than they would ever do while awake. The first sign of problems may be what we call "cracked tooth syndrome" – a sore or sensitive tooth somewhere in the mouth that is often hard for even the dentist to find. In some individuals the grinding, called bruxism, causes tooth wear rather than fracture.

More questions in this category:

Why does a cracked tooth hurt?
How can I prevent my teeth from fracturing?
How does the dentist treat a cracked tooth?
Will my tooth become better?
What type of forces cause teeth to crack?