Three tips for dealing with a broken tooth

Dentist Blog

Teeth can sometimes crack or chip after a fall, after a facial injury or if the person has bitten down on a particularly hard piece of food. This can be quite an alarming and physically painful experience; however, there are steps you can take to reduce your discomfort and minimise the damage done.

Employ some self-care measures

Immediately after cracking a tooth, you should rinse out your mouth with lukewarm water, to remove any tiny tooth shards and blood that may be present. A small, clean piece of gauze should then be pressed against the affected area; do this until the blood stops flowing. Following this, place an ice-pack against the area of your face nearest to the broken tooth. Over-the-counter painkillers can be used to reduce pain.

If you cannot see an emergency dentist until the following day and therefore have to sleep with the injured tooth, make sure to keep your head elevated during the night (you can do this simply by sleeping on two or three pillows). This will help to keep inflammation and swelling to a minimum.

Be careful with your food choices

Ideally, you should try not to consume anything other than water until your dental appointment. However, if you have to eat something, it's important to avoid foods that are very hot or cold. This is because, if the tooth has been damaged, the nerves underneath it may be exposed and it can be extremely painful when these nerves come into contact with particularly hot or cold substances. Stick to lukewarm foods with soft textures, such as mashed potatoes or smoothies.

Don't delay your dental appointment

If the pain begins to subside and the tooth is in a less visible area of your mouth, you might be tempted to skip or at least delay your dental appointment. However, this is a mistake, which could result in the injured area becoming infected, resulting in the need for more serious and costly treatments. It is crucial to have the problem treated by a dentist as soon as possible to avoid further complications. 

If you have only lost a fragment of a tooth, the dentist might be able to 'build' up the missing section, using a special filling substance. Alternatively, they may fit a crown or a standard filling. If the entire tooth is missing, there are several options; a denture ( a false, removable tooth), an implant (a permanent false tooth which is fitted using a titanium screw) or a bridge (where a special type of dental cement is used to stick a false tooth to the surrounding teeth).

Share

16 November 2016

Fillings: Everything You Need to Know

Hi! Welcome to my blog! My name is Kerry, and this blog is focused on dental fillings. It looks at the history of fillings, options for contemporary fillings, how to protect your fillings, when to replace them and much more. If you have ever had a cavity filled or if you are planning to get a tooth filled, you will find the information in this blog useful. I try to look at fillings from all angles, and I even plan to look at how to avoid fillings through proper dental hygiene and sealants. Thanks for reading, and I hope you find the info intellectually "filling."