When Dr. Craig was in dental school at the University of California, San Francisco, this entity was affectionately referred to as cold-beer-and-peanuts syndrome. And indeed patients who suffer from incomplete tooth fracture or cracked-tooth syndrome experience some degree of sensitivity to cold and the chewing of hard, crunchy foods. But more specifically, the chewing of hard, crunchy foods at a specific position or angle.

This occurs as a result of fracture development, with the fracture either approximating or contacting the dental nerve, causing the nerve to be inflamed; therefore, creating cold sensitivity. With chewing at a specific angle, a microscopic flexing of the fracture can actually occur, causing the dental nerve to be tugged or pinched, creating sensitivity or pain.

Teeth which are incompletely fractured, especially those where symptoms of cold and chewing are present, typically require endodontic treatment. Incomplete fracture involvement is not visible with radiographs or x-rays, and many times goes undiagnosed. This type of fracture is very different than root fracture, or more specifically vertical root fracture, where fracture involvement advances through tooth structure to the point of root involvement. If left undiagnosed, and therefore inappropriately treated, incomplete fracture will progress through tooth structure to the point of vertical root fracture. If a tooth is a molar and a single root is vertically fractured, the tooth can many times be saved through a combination of nonsurgical treatment, as well as surgical removal of the involved root. Extraction is typically indicated if the tooth is not a molar, and therefore, does not have multiple roots.

If not caught early enough, fracture involvement ultimately leads to complete tooth loss. So if you are experiencing the cold-beer-and-peanuts syndrome described above, please call us. We are interested in helping you save your tooth.