When the pointed part of the chewing surface of the tooth (cusp) becomes weakened, a fracture may occur. The cusp may break off itself or may be removed by the dentist. A fractured cusp usually does not damage the pulp (nerve of the tooth), so the root canal treatment is rarely needed. The tooth will usually be restored by your dentist. In some occasions the depth of the fracture might be such that it damages the pulp leading to the need of root canal treatment.

Typically, our patients are comfortable and pain-free during a Root Canal Treatment since we are specialists managing dental pain. Our diagnostic skills and knowledge use of local anesthetics make our patients experience a typically a pain-free, safe and relaxed root canal treatment.

A split tooth is generally the result of a long term-untreated cracked tooth. It is identified by a crack with distinct segments that can be separated. In some cases, the cracked portion of the tooth is removed and the tooth is restored with a filling or a crown. However, if the crack extends below the bone, the crack could not be repaired and the tooth will need to be extracted.

Vertical fractures are cracks that begin in the root tip and extend towards the chewing surface of the tooth. They usually show minimal signs and symptoms and may go unnoticed for some time. Treatment involves extraction of the tooth. Nevertheless, endodontic surgery may be indicated if a portion of the tooth can be saved by removal of the fractured root.