Teeth are very strong. Think about it: they chomp cookies, crackers, on shelled nuts, tough meat, gooey caramels, large lolly pops – you name it, your teeth have probably conquered it.
Until they meet their match.
Most people never break or chip a tooth. But many people do. Sometimes the cause is as innocuous as biting down on an errant unpopped popcorn kernel.
Sometimes it’s caused by doing something you should never do, such as pop a beer bottle cap off with your teeth.
Sometimes we fall down and break a tooth. Or something hits us hard in the mouth.
No matter the cause, take a look below for tips on what to do if you break or chip a tooth.
- First of all, don’t be surprised if you don’t feel any pain. Minor fractures usually don’t cause pain; you probably will feel pain if a large piece of your tooth breaks off. If you do feel pain it may be constant…or not: the pain could come and go. Most people will feel some discomfort when chewing.
- So how can you know if you chipped/broke a tooth? Your tongue undoubtedly will feel the jagged/broken edge of the tooth.
- If you see that your tooth is “just” cracked, you may think it’s Ok to skip the visit to your dentist, but you should see a dentist as soon as possible. In addition, chances are that you’ll be in pain. If the pain is constant, that could be a sign that you’ve damaged blood vessels or a nerve in your tooth. This is a serious matter and you should see a dentist as soon as you can.
- You’ll definitely need to visit a dentist if you’ve broken a tooth. The dentist will take a look and determine if the tooth’s nerve is in danger. (If it is, you probably will need to undergo a root canal).
A broken tooth means there’s definitely a dentist visit in your future!
- As you make your way to the dentist’s office, do all you can to find the tooth, or its broken bits, and bring it to the dentist’s office with you.
- Rinse your mouth repeatedly with warm water.
- Your mouth probably will bleed; apply pressure for about 10 minutes or until the bleeding stops. Use a piece of clean gauze on the wound and apply pressure. If this doesn’t stop the bleeding, place a tea bag on the wound and apply pressure.
- To reduce swelling and relieve pain, apply a cold pack to your lips or cheek over the broken tooth.
- If you can’t get to the dentist quickly, head to the drugstore and purchase temporary dental cement. Cover the part of your tooth that remains in your mouth with the cement.
- While at the drugstore, if you’re in pain, purchase an over-the-counter pain reliever.
- If you need to eat, eat only soft foods and chew on the side of your mouth opposite of the broken tooth.
By James Heilman, MD (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0], via Wikimedia Commons
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