If your tooth breaks

Feb 18, 2015

Would you know what to do if your tooth breaks? This is not a the last the camera will see of your gorgeous, health smile. Your smile should be as good as new with minimal pain & inconvenience if you simply know these 4 things to do if your tooth breaks.

Contact your dentist & schedule an appointment right when you realize you have broken a tooth. Make sure to tell the person who takes your call that you have broken a tooth, and your situation requires immediate dental attention. If possible schedule an appointment for that same day. If one isn’t available, schedule one for the next available appointment. In the meantime, here are some steps you can take to keep your oral health at its best after having broken a tooth.

First, collect & keep any pieces

Collect and keep any pieces of your tooth that have broken off. Don’t worry if you can’t find a piece so small off of the enamel, dentist are able to repair chipped tooth enamel using a procedure called bonding which uses tooth colored resin to shape the chipped tooth back to it’s former glory. It’s still important to keep any broken pieces you can find; especially if they’re large. Dentists are usually able to bond the pieces of your natural tooth back together & to your tooth so that it will look exactly the same as before it was broken.

Then, rinse your mouth

With warm water, rinse your mouth and any piece/s of the broken tooth. If there is bleeding, use clean gauze to hold in place until the bleeding stops. Now focus on getting and keeping the area as clean as possible, brush your teeth as needed normally.

Next, take care of any swelling & pain 

You can use an over-the-counter pain reliever like acetaminophen if your experiencing pain due to the broken tooth. With the recommended dose you should feel some relief. An alternative to over-the-counter drugs can be found with a cool/cold compress applied to the affected area.

Last, cover the tooth

You should make sure to cover the broken tooth for the time until your dental appointment. Depending on the size & place of the area you can use either a piece of sugarless gum, wax paper or dental wax from your local drug store. You can use a temporary filling from your pharmacy that won’t come off as easily or create a choking hazard in your sleep if you have to wait a day or two for a dental appointment.

For the time being you should stick to soft not too hot or cold foods for any meals before seeing the dentist. Also, avoid chewing using the broken tooth. Hot, cold & hard foods The less stress you place on your tooth, the less painful your tooth will be.

Call Midway Dental Center today at (772) 464-4822 to schedule a consultation and learn more about maintaining great oral health!