To prevent cracks from penetrating deep into a tooth, preventive dentistry is required. If a small crack is detected or found early enough, a bonded restoration may be able to be completed to bond tooth structure together and prevent the crack from traveling deeper or wider.
If a crack is found to be deep, a crown is normally the solution to containing the crack. A crown holds the entire top portion of tooth together and allows for the forces to be dispersed throughout the chewing surface of the tooth. This way the crack alone does not continue to withstand the entire large load, when chewing occurs. A crown will reduce symptoms to hot and cold, since the crack will no longer continue to open and close, transmitting temperature to the pulp of a tooth.