Cracked teeth can cause a variety of symptoms including pain while chewing, temperature sensitivities, and the release of biting pressure. It’s common for pain to come and go, which can make diagnosing the cause difficult.

While you chew, cracked pieces of your tooth move, causing the pulp within the tooth may become irritated. When biting pressure is released, the crack can close quickly resulting in sharp pain. If left untreated, the pulp will eventually become damaged and the tooth will constantly hurt, even when you are not chewing.

It is possible that cracks can lead to infection of the pulp tissue and can spread to the bone and gums surrounding the problem tooth.

There are different types of cracks, and each should be evaluated to prevent tooth loss and infection.