General and Cosmetic Dentistry Tips and News

What Do I Do, if I Chipped or Cracked my Tooth?

By: | Tags: | Comments: 0 | October 23rd, 2017

Chipping or cracking your tooth can not only be terrifying, but painful. Whether you think it’s bad enough to see a dentist or not, you must schedule an appointment with a local dentist as soon as you can. Even if it doesn’t hurt and isn’t deterring you from eating, any cracked tooth left untreated can cause extreme complications from pain to infection , and more.

The Types of Teeth Injuries

When “chipped” or “cracked” are the words used, it doesn’t mean just two types of splits or holes in the teeth. There are various types of injuries, and with that comes a plethora of treatments that cater to your oral injury. Some of these injuries include the forth coming:

  • Minor chip
  • Minor crack
  • Sever crack
  • Fractured cusp
  • An entire break
  • An entire split
  • A split root
  • Crack induced by decay or metal filling(Amalgam)

It may look like you have the first two, but the latter could actually be the culprit.

How to Care Immediately for a Cracked Tooth

Whether it’s chipped or straight up cracked, you’ll want to ensure that you are protecting the tooth until your dentist is able to look at it from a professional standpoint. The first thing you’ll want to do is make sure you rinse your entire mouth with warm salt water, which you can create yourself – you don’t have to go to the ocean to do so. Then, if available, you’ll want to use dental cement or a bit of gauze to wrap around and protect the tooth. You may be wondering, “where do I get dental cement? Wouldn’t that just be at my dentist?” Thankfully, there are many kinds available over-the-counter at your local pharmacy.

Of course, you’ll want to avoid the usual drinking or eating until you can see them, but this may not always be possible. If you can’t, you’ll want to avoid any types of food or drinks that are high in sugary content, acidic properties, high or low temperatures, and those that are a tad too hard for you to handle right now. You’ll also want to make sure you’re babying the tooth and eating on the opposite side of the injured side to ensure that you don’t worsen the crack or cause infection while you wait for a dental appointment.

Now, for those less painful chipped or cracked teeth: they may not always be noticeable, as they don’t touch or affect the inner part of the tooth. It’s worth mentioning that this could also happen to those that have extremely painful chipped or cracked teeth. You’ll want to take the forth coming steps to alleviate said pain before your appointment:

  • Over-the-counter pain medications and anti-inflammatories will work wonders
  • Use an over-the-counter dental anesthetic to relieve pain on your own
  • When flossing around that tooth, be extremely careful and try to remove the food that’s stuck around it
  • Elevate your head when you sleep to avoid and alleviate pressure and inflammation within your face and mouth

It’s imperative that you seek a dentist’s opinion before attempting to fix your tooth yourself or leave it as it is. In fact, it’s highly suggested that you don’t go without medical attention, as it might be another type of crack, that’s more serious.

Contact Dentistry For You at 905.731.1871 and book your appointment now!