What TO Do If I Have A Broken Tooth?

Permanent teeth are incredibly strong and durable, but the multitude of stresses they must withstand can evidently lead to chipping and cracking of the enamel. The most common causes of this are:

• Biting into a hard object(a clean crack with no decay)
• Trauma following accidents such as sports ( a clean crack with no decay)
• Cavities left untreated that caused the tooth to deteriorate or become brittle and fragile ( a fracture involving decay and caries)
• Fillings leave the tooth more fragile and subject to break under even moderate pressure

Feeling immediate pain after a tooth injury is not always a symptom; the pain will only prevail if the break traveled towards the tooth’s nerves, where discomfort may be felt during chewing to sensitivity to warm and cold temperatures. Although certain cracks of the tooth may not cause discomfort, always check in with your Sunlake dentists to have a thorough examination to rule out any extensive side effects of the broken tooth.

Treating Your Broken Or Cracked Tooth

While a minor crack or chip on the outer edge of your tooth may not provide any health complications, your Sunlake dentists may recommend a cosmetic procedure to round the corner of the chip and match a filling to your tooth colour for a seamless repair. Rounding the corners of the chip will help keep your tooth from being damaged further in the future.

Severely fractured or chipped teeth will need more complex and thorough treatment. If the tooth is left untreated while sustaining a significant loss of enamel, cavities can develop and begin to affect the root. The gum line is also affected by a root cavity and can cause nerve damage to the surrounding teeth and connective tissue. In most cases, a complete root extraction may be recommended by your Sunlake dentists, but further treatment options are always discussed and evaluated.

Managing A Broken Tooth

If you have cracked or chipped one or more of your teeth, refer to these following steps before calling your Sunlake dentists for an appointment:

• Using warm water, slowly and carefully rinse out your mouth to clean out any debris left from the accident
• It is essential to apply pressure to a bleeding lesion. Be sure to use a cloth, gauze, or a tea bag to stop the bleeding
• If there is any inflammation or swelling, use an icepack to apply pressure to the surrounding area
• If the swelling does not decrease within a timely manner, take an anti-inflammatory such as ibuprofen (always refer to your doctor before taking medication)
• Should the pain not subside, take a pain reliever such as paracetamol or Advil (always refer to your doctor before taking medication)
• To avoid infection, rinse your mouth out with a saline solution or milk
• Avoid contact with your broken tooth as much as possible. Your Sunlake dentist will discuss the best course of treatment to mend the break.

Post-Appointment Expectations

After you have consulted with your Sunlake dentists about the best course of treatment for your broken tooth, you will be given recommendations on the following steps and what expectations you should be aware of:

• Healing time will vary depending on the location and severity of the break. A superficial chip of a tooth with minor filling should take no healing time, while a root canal will need days until biting and chewing can become tolerable (no discomfort)
• Medication will most likely be prescribed to avoid infections. Always discuss with your Sunlake dentist the medicines you are currently on, to avoid counter-acting the pre-existing ones.
• If the course of treatment was surgical or extensive, follow-up appointments may be required. X-Rays are commonly used in these appointments to check for healthy nerve and tissue development and to catch infections at their early stages, should there be any.