How You and Your Dentist Can Handle Broken or Chipped Teeth

Your teeth are incredibly strong, but they can still fracture, chip, and break under certain circumstances. These include biting into something hard, falling or being hit in the mouth, having deep cavities, or even having old amalgam fillings that can’t support the remaining tooth enamel. A broken or chipped tooth doesn’t always hurt, but you will probably find the sharp or jagged area quickly with your tongue. If a large portion of your tooth breaks off, you may feel pain from damage to the nerve inside. Pain from dental injuries may be constant or intermittent.

Emergency Tips for Broken, Cracked or Chipped Teeth

If you suffer a minor chipped tooth and you have no bleeding, pain, or sensitivity, cover any sharp edges with dental wax, and see a dentist in Miami soon. Fractures are more serious. If your tooth hurts constantly, or temperature changes cause pain, you may have sustained damage to blood vessels or nerve tissues. If it doesn’t hurt to bite down, but you feel pain when the bite is released, your tooth may be cracked; this cannot be treated at home. A cracked or broken tooth requires professional care. Until you can get to a dentist’s office, rinse your mouth with warm water and apply pressure to bleeding areas with a piece of gauze or a tea bag. A cold compress can help to reduce swelling and pain.

Treating Tooth Fractures and Breaks

After you stabilize your injury at home, you’ll need to locate a qualified, affordable dentist to restore your tooth. Listed below are common types of tooth injuries and the methods your dentist can use to resolve them:

• Minor chips may not need treatment. If they are unsightly or sharp, your dentist can polish and smooth out their surface.
• Minor surface cracks or craze lines usually don’t need treatment. If necessary, they can be polished to smooth out rough areas.
• A cracked or seriously fractured tooth may require repair with dental filling material or a crown. If the pulp is also damaged, a root canal may be necessary.
• Decay-induced breaks occur when cavities weaken teeth from the inside out. Root canal treatment or extraction may be needed.
• Vertical breaks or split roots are painful and may become infected. In most cases, these teeth must be extracted.
• Broken cusps don’t often involve the tooth’s pulp. They are usually treated with dental crowns.
• Serious breaks and split teeth usually require root canal treatment. In some cases, extraction is the best option.

To get the dental care you deserve from an affordable dentist in Miami, call Miami Center for Cosmetic and Implant Dentistry today at (305) 306-9250 or make an appointment.