Why Don Cracks Show Up on a Dental X-Ray?
Rarely will a crack in a tooth show up in an X-ray. This is because the X-ray beam must be parallel to the crack in order to penetrate it. In some cases however other radiographic signs of a crack can be found besides actually seeing the crack itself. In some cases of a vertical root fracture, if the crack has been present long enough, vertical bone loss paralleling the root can be seen. How are Cracked Teeth Fixed and Why? The good news is that most cracked teeth can be retained long term, it should be noted however that a cracked tooth is a compromised tooth even with the proper treatment. The key factor is to find the crack early on in its development. If caught early enough, with the proper treatment, cracks can be halted or at least slowed down allowing the tooth to retained long term. If allowed to progress untreated, a cracked tooth depending on the direction of the crack, may become hopeless requiring removal. The treatment of a cracked tooth involves removing the affected cusp
