What Should You Do If Your tooth is Broken or Chipped?
It can really hurt to crack, chip, or break a tooth. Teeth can be damaged in many ways, and the damage can be slight or severe depending on the type of injury nd the condition of your teeth.When you’re crunching ice or hard candy, you notice something hard in your oral cavity that doesn’t melt or dissolve. You get sick when you realize it is: a broken tooth fragment.
Although the enamel which covers your teeth is the hardest, it has limitations. Receiving a blow to the face, falling or biting down on something hard are dental emergencies and can cause a tooth to chip or break, especially if the tooth already has some decay. Don’t be alarmed if you discover a broken or chipped tooth. There are numerous things your dentist can do to help. Unless the problem is a minor chip, there’s no of fixing it without seeing your dentist. The one thing you can do in the meantime is to try and alleviate your pain and protect the tooth and the inside of your oral cavity to avoid further injury.
What Happens If Your Tooth Breaks?
A broken tooth can range from a crack and a chip in the hard enamel on the outside to complete breakage of an area, exposing the dentin and pulp. Because tooth enamel contains no nerves or blood vessels, enamel loss may be painless. However, the tooth frequently hurts when the dentin or pulp is exposed to air. Bacteria can infect exposed pulp over time, causing increased pain, discolouration of the remaining enamel, and temperature sensitivity.
What Are the Steps To Take If You Have A Broken or Chipped Tooth?
If you have a cracked, chipped, or broken tooth, it is critical to act quickly to alleviate pain and prevent further damage. What you should do is as follows:
- Warm water rinse: Rinse your mouth with warm water to clean the area and remove any debris.
- If you have broken pieces of your tooth, try to save them and seek urgent dental care by bringing them to the dentist.
- Apply cold compresses: If you have pain or swelling outside your cheek, apply a cold compress to relieve the discomfort.
- Make an appointment to see your emergency dentist near you: Make an appointment with your dentist as soon as possible. Your dentist may be able to repair your tooth with a filling, crown, or veneer, depending on the extent of the damage.
- Take over-the-counter pain relievers: If you are in pain, you can relieve it with over-the-counter pain relievers such as ibuprofen.
- Avoid eating or drinking: Avoid eating or drinking on the side of your mouth where the tooth is broken or chipped until you see your dentist.
- You can help minimize discomfort and prevent further damage to your broken or chipped tooth by following these steps. Your dentist can then advise you on the best way to repair the tooth and restore your oral health.
How Your Dentist Might be Able to Repair Your Broken or Chipped Tooth?
Depending on the extent of the tooth damage and your specific needs, your dentist may repair a broken or chipped tooth using one of several different procedures. The following are some common methods for improving a broken or chipped tooth:
- Dental bonding is applying a tooth-coloured resin to a damaged or chipped tooth, and then shaping and hardening it to restore its appearance and function.
- Dental crowns are tooth caps that are placed over damaged teeth to protect them and restore their appearance. Crowns often repair larger chips or cracks and can be made of porcelain, ceramic, or metal.
- Dental veneers are thin porcelain or resin shells that are attached to the front of damaged teeth to improve their appearance.
- If the pulp (the inner portion of the tooth) is damaged, your dentist at New Tampa Smiles may recommend root canal treatment to remove the damaged tissue and restore the tooth.
- Extraction: A broken or severely damaged tooth may need to be extracted and replaced with a dental implant, bridge, or denture in some cases.
Your dentist in Tampa, FL, will assess the extent of your tooth damage and advise you on the best treatment option to repair you’re broken or chipped tooth and restore your oral health.