If you break a tooth, it can be extremely painful. Broken tooth pain may mean the sensitive nerve of the tooth is exposed to the elements, making it difficult or impossible to eat. You need to find a dentist as soon as possible whenever this happens. Fortunately, the Yonkers dentistry center opens on Saturday and Sunday. Our dentists provide emergency broken tooth repair to ease your pain.
Tooth enamel is the most complex, mineralized tissue in your body. But it has its limitations. A broken tooth can occur from falls, blows to the face, or biting on something hard — such as ice, nuts, or fingernails. Sometimes, a large dental filling can break the tooth enamel, or decay can compromise a tooth to the point that it breaks.
Whenever you break a tooth, seek immediate help to prevent further damage and address any underlying causes — even if you don’t feel any broken tooth pain.
If you still have the broken piece, place it in a clean container with milk, saliva, or saline. Take it with you to your local dentist.
Meanwhile, to relieve your broken tooth pain:
- Take over-the-counter pain relievers
- Rinse your mouth with salt water to sterilize your mouth
- Apply pressure, if it’s bleeding, for about ten minutes
- Apply a cold pack to your face or jaw to reduce swelling and numb the pain
- Cover any sharp or jagged edges with wax paraffin or sugarless chewing gum to keep it from cutting or piercing your cheek, gums, or tongue
- Eat only soft foods and don’t bite on the broken tooth.
Alyana Gisele
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What Could Happen If You Don’t Get Dental Care for Your Broken Tooth?
If you don’t get dental care for a damaged tooth, there is a real risk the tooth will become more extensively infected and decay. Any breach in the tooth enamel will let in bacteria, and the dentin underneath the enamel is much softer and more easily damaged. If you neglect a damaged tooth, there is even the possibility you could lose the tooth in the future.
When a damaged tooth becomes infected this can develop into an abscess and sometimes the only solution is to remove the tooth to allow the infection to drain. It is often the case that small chips and cracks in teeth can be easily and inexpensively mended.
What to Do If Your Broken Tooth is Painful?
If you have a painful chipped tooth or have noticed the damaged tooth feels quite sensitive to hot and cold, get in touch with your local dentist or call our dentistry center as soon as possible.
Our dentists will talk to you about the extent of the damage and if it is an emergency, will see you as soon as they can, often on the same day to relieve the discomfort and to protect the tooth. You will almost certainly need to return to the dental office at a later date for full restorative care but at least in the meantime you will feel more comfortable.
If you can’t get to see a dentist immediately, then rinse your mouth with warm water to remove any small pieces of tooth. Use clean gauze and gentle pressure to stop any bleeding, or you can use a wet tea bag because the tannins in the tea will help the blood clot.
If there is any swelling, use an ice pack to the outside of your face for ten minutes before removing it for twenty minutes and repeat as necessary. Use over-the-counter painkillers to relieve any discomfort.
A small chip in a tooth can also damage the soft tissues in your mouth and one trick to try is to cover up any sharp edges with sugar-free chewing gum until you can get proper dental care. Alternatively, purchase some temporary dental cement from your local drugstore and use this to cover up the tooth.
Remember, our dental office can offer lots of advice over the phone. Call us.
Broken Tooth Repair Options
A broken tooth during the week may give you plenty of options, but only the best dental specialists of Park Avenue Smiles can help on the weekend. The dentist examines your mouth to see if any underlying dental issues need to be addressed. Decay, gum disease, and the size of the break contribute to broken tooth pain. Depending on these factors, your dentist may recommend:
- Small chip repair. This broken tooth repair uses a filling or dental bonding. Back teeth often benefit from a filling. Bonding uses tooth-colored resin if the break is visible. Bonding doesn’t usually require anesthesia. Your dentist etches the tooth, applies the adhesive, and molds the resin in layers, using ultraviolet light to harden the material.
- Large chip repair. A more significant break requires more extensive repair. Your dentist may grind off part of the remaining tooth and cover it with a crown. The crown protects the tooth and restores your appearance. Dentists make crowns from metal, porcelain fused with metal, resin, or ceramic.
- Repair of a break that exposes the pulp. The center of your tooth holds the pulp, including the nerves and blood vessels. The pulp can become infected. Pain, discoloration of the tooth, or extreme sensitivity may indicate damaged or diseased pulp. Broken tooth repair for these breaks may require a root canal if your pulp is damaged.
- You have broken tooth repair for a split tooth. When your tooth has split vertically into two separate pieces, it may need to be removed, depending on its location in your mouth. Front teeth can be removed and replaced with an implant. Your dentist may be able to save a molar by performing a root canal topped with a crown.
Relief of Broken Tooth Pain
The treatment from your dentist depends on the damage’s extent and the tooth’s location. Special cases include:
- The entire top has broken off, but the root’s intact. These injuries usually involve noticeable broken tooth pain. Your dentist may need to perform a root canal and place a post for a later implant. Implants and crowns require two office appointments: the first for preparing the tooth for the crown by grinding down or building up the remaining tooth material, and the second for permanently cementing the custom-made crown.
- A broken tooth repair for a front tooth. Your front teeth are thinner and can’t support a crown. If the break is large enough, you may get a dental veneer. A veneer is a thin shell covering the tooth’s front part. Your dentist removes 0.3–1.2 millimeters of enamel from the surface of your front tooth and makes impressions that are sent to the lab for custom design. You have to return later to allow your dentist to cement the veneer in place.
No matter the reason or method, a dentist is committed to relieving your pain and providing custom broken tooth repair. Accidents are part of everyday life, but your dentist helps reduce the severity by providing quick, accurate diagnosis and treatment.
Do you have any questions about the broken tooth repair? For more information or to schedule an appointment with the best dentist in Yonkers, Farzin Farokhzadeh, DDS of Park Avenue Smiles.
