Cracked Tooth Syndrome

The best treatment for a suspected cracked tooth is to have it checked by your dentist as early as possible.

Sharp pain on biting, (especially on release or opening) that quickly disappears.
Usually on a molar or premolar (back teeth)
Spontaneous pain
Pain while eating or drinking
Extreme sensitivity to hot and cold food or drinks
Some cracks may be asymptomatic
A cracked tooth may not be visible to the eye or on an x-ray.

You can cause a tooth to crack by chewing on foods such as ice, nuts, or hard candy.
For e.g. as a blow to the mouth may cause a tooth to crack.
Clenching and grinding your teeth often causes teeth to crack.
Brittle teeth that have had a root canal may crack easily.
Loss of tooth structure through wear, large fillings, or other restorations may cause a tooth to crack. This is especially true for older amalgam (silver) fillings, as they have a tendency to expand and shrink over time, resulting in flexure of the remaining tooth structure which cracks.
Uneven chewing pressure from missing teeth or imperfections in the way teeth bite together. For e.g. High fillings or mal-aligned teeth

Treatment for a cracked tooth depends on the size and location of the crack and your symptoms. These include:

Sometimes no treatment is recommended if the crack is small and not causing the patient any pain.
Reducing the height of the tooth or filling slightly or placing a metal band around the tooth if diagnosis is uncertain.
Repairing the tooth with a filling material and reducing the height of the remaining tooth to protect it.
Placing a crown, or onlay on the tooth to protect the tooth from further damage
Root canal treatment if the nerves and pulp are involved
Extraction of the tooth if the crack is severe and the tooth cannot be saved.

The best treatment is to have a suspected cracked tooth checked by your dentist as early as possible.