A crack in a tooth does not heal on its own, unlike a bone. Fine lines in the enamel are usually harmless. But if the tooth hurts when you chew, especially at the moment you release your bite, or reacts to cold, have it checked soon. The earlier a crack is found, the better the chance of keeping the tooth, often with a partial crown or crown that holds it together. Until your appointment, chew on the other side and avoid hard foods.
Updated: 14 November 2026
- Fine lines in the enamel are usually harmless.
- Pain when you release your bite is the typical sign.
- Treated early, the tooth can usually be kept.
Not every crack is the same
| What it is | What it means | What helps |
|---|---|---|
| Fine lines in the enamel (craze lines) | very common, superficial, no pain | nothing, just keep an eye on them |
| Broken cusp | a piece of the chewing surface breaks off, often next to a large filling | filling, partial crown or crown |
| Cracked tooth | the crack runs from the chewing surface towards the root, the tooth is still in one piece | partial crown or crown. If the crack reaches the pulp, a root canal treatment first |
| Split tooth | the crack divides the tooth into two parts | sometimes one part can be kept |
| Vertical root fracture | starts in the root, without symptoms for a long time | usually extraction |
If a visible piece has broken off, read on in “Broken or chipped tooth: what to do?”.
How to recognise a crack
- a short, sharp pain when chewing, often exactly when you release your bite
- sensitivity to cold or heat
- the pain comes and goes, and it is hard to say which tooth it is
When you chew, the parts of the tooth move against each other very slightly. This irritates the pulp. If the crack remains, it can become inflamed.
Why a crack is often hard to find
An X-ray does not show most cracks. So we search differently: under the microscope at up to 25x magnification and, depending on the case, with light shining through the tooth, with a dye that makes the crack visible and with a targeted bite test. For you, this means an explanation for a pain that nobody has been able to place so far.
“Nothing showed up on the X-ray. Am I imagining the pain?”
No. With a crack this is typical: the tooth hurts when you chew, and the X-ray looks normal. The pain is real, and it has a cause. Finding it takes magnification and a little time.
A tooth hurts when you chew, and nobody can find the reason? In a toothache appointment we look at it under the microscope.
Book onlineCan the tooth be kept?
Usually yes, if the crack ends above the gum line. A ceramic partial crown or crown holds the tooth together and takes the pressure off the crack. If the crack has reached the pulp, a root canal treatment comes first. If it reaches deep below the gum or splits the root, extraction is the more honest way. You will then know why. Read more in “Save or extract a tooth? What speaks for saving it”.
How it happens, and what prevents it
- Grinding and clenching. A night guard protects the teeth at night. Read more in “Teeth grinding: causes and what helps”.
- Hard things. Ice cubes, fruit stones and pens are not for teeth.
- Large, old fillings. They weaken the walls of the tooth. At the check-up we see whether a partial crown makes sense.
- Sport. For contact sports, a mouthguard protects.
