A broken or cracked tooth is one of those problems that tends to get worse the longer it’s left. A dental crown is often the most effective way to protect what remains of the tooth, restore its function, and prevent further damage.
Why Teeth Crack and Break
Teeth fracture for a number of reasons. A direct impact, biting on something unexpectedly hard, a heavily filled tooth that no longer has enough natural structure to support normal biting forces, or years of grinding can all result in a cracked or broken tooth. In many cases, there’s no single dramatic moment. Teeth weaken gradually and then give way under what seems like ordinary chewing.
The NHS guidance on chipped, broken, or cracked teeth notes that if the tooth has been knocked out or is badly broken, you should seek urgent dental advice. For less severe damage, a dentist can assess the extent of the fracture and recommend an appropriate restoration.
And the key word here is assess. Not every crack or break is the same, and the treatment depends heavily on what the fracture has done to the tooth’s underlying structure.
The Different Types of Tooth Fracture
Some cracks are superficial, confined to the enamel and causing sensitivity without threatening the tooth’s survival. Others run deeper, into the dentine, or extend into the root, which changes the clinical picture significantly. A crack that reaches the pulp (the nerve tissue inside the tooth) will usually require root canal treatment before a crown can be placed.
| Type of Fracture | Description | Typical Treatment |
|---|---|---|
| Craze lines | Surface cracks in enamel only | Usually no treatment needed; monitor |
| Fractured cusp | A piece of the biting surface breaks away | Crown or large filling |
| Cracked tooth | Crack extends from biting surface downward | Crown, possibly root canal first |
| Split tooth | Crack extends through the full tooth | Extraction in most cases |
| Vertical root fracture | Starts in the root, extends upward | Usually extraction |
In our experience, most patients who come to us with a cracked tooth have had some warning signs for months beforehand: intermittent pain when biting, sensitivity to temperature that comes and goes, or a vague discomfort they’d been putting off investigating. The pattern we notice is that the crack has usually been propagating slowly, and the acute episode that prompts the appointment is just the point at which it became impossible to ignore.
How a Crown Addresses a Broken Tooth
A crown works by encasing the entire visible portion of the tooth, holding the remaining structure together and distributing biting forces evenly across the restoration rather than concentrating them at the crack margins. Think of it as binding a split piece of wood: the binding doesn’t restore the original material, but it prevents the split from propagating further.
For teeth that are heavily filled, have lost a cusp, or have a crack that hasn’t yet reached the pulp, a crown can often save the tooth without any further intervention. The procedure involves preparing the tooth by reducing it to a uniform shape, taking an impression or scan, and fitting a temporary crown while the permanent restoration is made in a dental laboratory.
The permanent crown is usually fitted at a second appointment around two weeks later. It’s cemented in place over the prepared tooth and, once set, functions as a normal tooth.
See how it works:
When Root Canal Treatment is Also Needed
If the fracture has reached the pulp, or if the tooth has become acutely infected as a result of the damage, root canal treatment is required before the crown can be placed. This isn’t unusual. A tooth that has been cracked for some time, or that broke because it was already heavily filled, is more likely to have compromised nerve tissue than a tooth that fractured cleanly from a single impact.
Root canal treatment removes the infected or damaged pulp, cleans and shapes the root canals, and seals them. Once that’s complete and the tooth has settled, the crown is prepared and fitted. The overall timeline in that scenario is longer, typically spanning four to eight weeks from initial assessment to final crown placement, but the outcome is a tooth that can remain in function for many years.
What Happens If a Broken Tooth Is Left Untreated?
The short answer is that things get worse. A crack that hasn’t been stabilised continues to propagate under chewing forces. Bacteria enter the fracture line, leading to decay or infection of the pulp. What might have been treatable with a crown alone becomes a case requiring root canal treatment, or the fracture extends to the root and the tooth can no longer be saved.
Some patients are tempted to manage with a broken tooth because it isn’t currently causing significant pain. Pain isn’t a reliable indicator of how serious the situation is. A tooth can have extensive structural damage, or even a significant infection developing, without acute discomfort.
Costs and Considerations at a Private Practice
Coniston Dental Practice is a private practice. Crown costs vary depending on the material used and the complexity of the preparation. We’ll provide a written treatment plan and cost estimate before any work is undertaken, so there are no surprises. For context, NHS Band 3 treatment covers crowns at £332.10 (current rate), but that option isn’t available here since we don’t offer NHS treatment.
Worth knowing: the cost of a crown placed to protect a cracked tooth is usually considerably less than the cost of managing the complications that follow if a fracture is left to worsen.
Getting Seen in West Byfleet
If you’ve broken or cracked a tooth in Surrey and you’d like a clinical assessment, please get in touch with us at Coniston Dental Practice on 01932 343 675. We can arrange an appointment to examine the tooth, discuss the treatment options, and give you a clear picture of what’s involved before any decisions are made.
