Images in this article are AI-generated illustrations.
It started with a sharp twinge when you bit down on something. It’s gone a second later, then it comes back the next time you chew on that side. Cold drinks make it worse. You can’t see anything wrong when you look in the mirror, but something isn’t right, and you’re wondering if a back tooth has cracked.
Here’s the short answer. The Australian Dental Association (ADA) says possible signs of a cracked tooth include sharp pain on biting that may go away once you stop biting, sensitivity to cold or hot temperatures, and a feeling that the teeth close together differently. It also says not all cracks need treatment, but if a tooth has a crack and it is causing pain, it needs to be treated by a dentist. At Clear Choice Dental in Maddington and Yokine, that starts with an examination of the tooth.
Summary of the Content
- A cracked tooth often hurts on biting, sometimes only now and then, and may be sensitive to hot or cold.
- Not every crack needs treatment; your dentist checks where it is, how deep it goes and whether the nerve is healthy.
- Treatment can range from a filling, to a crown that holds the tooth together, to root canal treatment, or removing the tooth if the crack is severe.
- Grinding, chewing ice and biting hard things like olive seeds are among the habits the ADA links to cracks.
- See your dentist if a tooth hurts when you bite, rather than waiting to see if it settles.
What Does a Cracked Tooth Feel Like?
The ADA lists three possible symptoms:
- Sharp pain on biting. The pain may go away once you stop biting, and it may not happen every time you bite.
- Sensitivity to temperature. The tooth is sensitive to cold or hot.
- A change in your bite. A feeling that the teeth close together differently.
That on-and-off pattern is part of what makes a crack hard to pin down yourself. Clear Choice Dental’s root canal page describes cracked tooth symptoms in similar terms: pain when biting down, sensitivity to hot and cold drinks, and pain when chewing.
Why Do Teeth Crack?
The ADA explains that although tooth enamel is very strong, teeth do flex when we use them, and tooth structure is flexible enough to take the force of biting and chewing. But as we get older, teeth get worn and can be made weaker by fillings, and they get less flexible. These changes may increase the risk of cracks developing.
The ADA lists these habits and conditions as possible causes:
- teeth clenching and grinding
- opening bottles or packaging with your teeth
- chewing ice cubes
- accidentally biting down on hard items such as olive seeds
- tooth erosion from acidic foods and drinks, medicines, vomiting or reflux
Cracks under old fillings
The ADA notes that dentists sometimes find cracks under old fillings, which only show once the filling is removed. It says this is more common with amalgam (silver) fillings, partly because amalgam expands and shrinks a little with hot and cold, and because more tooth needs to be removed to hold an amalgam filling in place.
Does Every Crack Need Treatment?
No. The ADA says not all cracks are the same. Some teeth with cracks need treatment and some do not. If your dentist finds a crack that isn’t causing any trouble, their advice may be to keep an eye on it. Small cracks in the enamel that don’t travel deep into the tooth may not need any treatment at all.
Cracks that travel deep into the tooth may be more serious and may cause symptoms, including pain. That’s the kind of crack that needs a closer look.
What Will Your Dentist Check?
The ADA lists what a dentist looks at when assessing a crack:
- Where the crack is in the tooth.
- Which tooth it is, and how much work that tooth does when biting and chewing.
- The direction the crack travels: up and down, or side to side.
- Any fillings already in the tooth.
- The health of the nerve in the tooth.
- The health of the gums around the tooth.
- How all of your teeth bite together.
- Whether you grind your teeth.
- Whether you’ve had cracked teeth before.
The ADA adds that the first step is often to remove any existing filling so the dentist can look closely at the crack.
How Is a Cracked Tooth Fixed?
The ADA is honest that the way to fix a cracked tooth is not black and white. These are the options it describes:
| What the dentist finds | Treatment the ADA describes |
|---|---|
| The crack can be removed | Sometimes the tooth may only need a filling |
| The crack needs holding together | A crown covers the top of the tooth so it doesn’t hurt when you bite, and tries to stop the crack getting worse |
| The nerve isn’t healthy | The tooth may need root canal treatment, and it is common to need a crown afterwards |
| It’s unclear whether a crown will help | A temporary crown or metal band may be placed first to see if the symptoms settle |
| A severe crack runs down towards the gums | Sometimes the only treatment is to remove the tooth |
The ADA also says your dentist will talk to you about the chances of the cracked tooth surviving in the future, and that this is different for every person and every tooth.
At Clear Choice Dental, the options you might hear about include fillings, root canal treatment and crowns. The clinic offers same-day CEREC crowns at both its Maddington and Yokine locations, which it describes as ceramic crowns made in a single appointment.
What About Root Canal Treatment?
If a crack reaches the nerve, root canal treatment may come up. The ADA explains that a crack in the tooth that extends into the dental pulp (the soft tissue in the centre of the tooth) can let bacteria into the area. It says signs you might need root canal treatment include severe pain when biting or chewing, and pain from hot or cold that continues after the item has been removed from your mouth.
The ADA describes root canal treatment as cleaning the space inside the tooth where the nerve tissue was, then filling it. Afterwards, your tooth may need either a filling or a crown, and your dentist will look at where the tooth is, how much pressure it takes and how much natural tooth is left when deciding.
What Can You Do Before Your Appointment?
You can’t fix a crack at home, but you can avoid making it worse while you wait to be seen:
- Chew on the other side of your mouth where you can.
- Skip very hard foods, ice cubes and hard seeds.
- Don’t use your teeth to open bottles or packaging.
- If cold triggers the pain, try drinks at room temperature.
- Note when it hurts: biting, releasing, hot, cold, or all of these.
Your Cracked Tooth Checklist
Bring this to your visit:
- Which tooth you think it is, and which side.
- When the pain started and what sets it off.
- Whether you grind or clench your teeth, or wake with a sore jaw.
- Any recent hard bite you remember, like an olive seed or a bone.
- A list of any medicines you take.
- Questions to ask: Does this crack need treatment now? Would a filling or a crown suit it? Is the nerve healthy? What happens if we wait?
Booking at Clear Choice Dental
Clear Choice Dental has two clinics:
- Maddington: 3/1909 Albany Highway, Maddington. Open Monday and Thursday 8:30 AM to 6:00 PM, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM, and Saturday 8:00 AM to 1:00 PM. Call (08) 9452 8877.
- Yokine: 17/162 Wanneroo Road, Yokine. Open Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday 8:30 AM to 5:30 PM, Wednesday 8:30 AM to 7:00 PM, and Saturday 8:00 AM to 1:00 PM. Call (08) 9345 0455.
The clinic’s payment options include HBF, HCF, NIB and HIF networks, Afterpay, Zip, Humm, Medipay and Fund My Dental. Check your health fund cover before treatment.
If you’re not sure what to say when you call, try: “I’ve got a back tooth that hurts when I bite. Can I book an appointment to check if it’s cracked?” You can also contact the clinic online.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do all cracked teeth need fixing?
Not always. The ADA says not all cracks need to be treated and sometimes they can be left alone, but some cracks can get worse and cause pain or result in the tooth needing to be removed. Your dentist is the one to judge which kind you have.
Why does it only hurt sometimes?
The ADA says the pain of a cracked tooth may go away once you stop biting, and may not happen every time you bite. That’s common, and it’s still worth getting checked.
Will I need a crown?
Not always. The ADA says sometimes the crack can be removed and the tooth may only need a filling. A crown is a common treatment when the tooth needs holding together.
Final Thoughts
A tooth that hurts when you bite, on and off, is worth getting checked. Not every crack needs treatment, and some can simply be watched. Your dentist will look at where the crack is, how deep it goes and how healthy the nerve is, then explain the options, from a filling to a crown or root canal treatment. Book an assessment, bring your notes, and ask what happens if you treat it now compared with waiting.
Written by Dr. Sandeep Sharma, Principal Dentist, Clear Choice Dental.
Sources
Checked 30 October 2026. This article explains general published guidance and the clinic’s own published information, not advice about your tooth.
- Australian Dental Association: Cracked teeth and Root canal treatment.
- Clear Choice Dental: Root canal treatment (Yokine), Dental fillings (Maddington), CEREC crowns (Maddington), CEREC crowns (Yokine), Payment options, Dr. Sandeep Sharma and Contact us.
- Photos in this article are AI-generated illustrations, not photos of Clear Choice Dental, its staff or patients.
