Facial Implants

You Just Broke a Tooth: Here’s What to Do

Whether you’re standing in your kitchen with a beer bottle that still isn’t open and a throbbing tooth, or you just walked off the sports field and your mouth feels just a little lighter – you can count yourself a part of a large club of people, made up of individuals from every race, nation, and walk of life. You’re someone that’s suffered some sort of dental trauma. The good news? Everything is going to be O.K. There is an almost endless list of accidents that can happen to your teeth that will leave you wondering, “Who is the closest dentist near me?” but fortunately, the treatments we have available ensure that tooth repair and tooth replacement are safer and more effective than ever before.

So what do I do?

If you’re wondering what to do, first you need to ask yourself, is it chipped, cracked, or is it broken?  Chipped teeth are a bit more common than broken teeth, because a broken tooth requires much more force. If you’ve chipped your tooth you can likely count yourself lucky. In most cases, a chipped tooth can be repaired with dental bonding – which is a tooth-colored adhesive that can repair small chips and imperfections. Better yet, while a chipped tooth can be jagged and annoying, it can generally be treated the next time you see your dentist. No need to find a dentist in the middle of the night for emergency treatment.

cracked (or fractured) tooth cannot be treated at home. In fact, sometimes you might not even realize you have a fractured tooth – as the injury can start as a very fine crack. Sometimes, a cracked tooth won’t hurt at all, but will eventually get sensitive or even painful when a stimulus like hot or cold is introduced. The surest sign of a cracked tooth is when it doesn’t hurt to actually bite down on the tooth, but releasing the bite leads to more pain. If the pain from your tooth is present all the time, there’s a chance that the underlying nerve could be affected – which should signal you to contact your family dentist as quickly as possible. In any case, if you experience any of the above symptoms – it’s important to get in touch with your dentist to prevent further damage or infection.

broken tooth is generally much more apparent than a cracked tooth. If your tooth is broken, you will notice a clear piece of the tooth missing. This makes diagnosing the problem easier, but that’s pretty much it when it comes to the “upsides” of having a broken tooth. A broken tooth means you should find a dentist for treatment as soon as possible. Depending on the nature of the break, the underlying health of the tooth, and if the tooth’s nerve or dental pulp has been contaminated – your doctor might recommend root canal treatment before saving, replacing, or repairing the tooth. In many cases, the most common type of treatment is a root canal, followed by a dental crown to protect and preserve the damaged tooth.

Do you have questions about finding a dentist for emergency dental work or any other dental concern? Our friends at Primary Dental Care of Garden Grove have just about all the answers. With a full dental team experienced in every aspect of oral health – they are Southern California’s experts on dental care.

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