What to Do with a Broken Tooth? Tips on How to Relieve Discomfort

Dental injuries can happen to anyone. If you experience a dental injury, such as facial trauma, here is what to do with a broken tooth to relieve discomfort. In the event of a cavity or an accidental loss of a tooth, contact an emergency dentist immediately, ideally within 30 minutes.

What to Do With a Broken Tooth? 

It is crucial to act quickly if you suffer a broken tooth to prevent infection, restore function, and protect your oral health. Here are the steps you can take before a dentist treats your tooth. 

Wash Your Mouth With Warm Water

Rinse your mouth with warm water to remove any blood or debris from the remaining tooth. You should also rinse the broken part of the tooth. After the initial wash, rinse your mouth again with warm salt water to eliminate bacteria and prevent infection.

Apply Pressure to Stop Bleeding

Use a clean towel or gauze and apply pressure to the wound to stop the blood flow. Place the gauze between your teeth and bite down. You should call for an ambulance or head to the nearest emergency department if you notice severe bleeding or dizziness. You may have suffered a much more serious injury than simply a broken tooth.

Save the Broken Tooth if Possible

If your broken tooth comes loose from your mouth, begin looking for it as soon as you can.

Once you find it, rinse it, and then immerse it in milk or saliva in a small container.

Make sure you hold it by the white part of the tooth or the crown rather than the root. You have a greater chance of saving a tooth when you visit the dentist right away and depending on how much of the tooth was broken off. 

Use a Cold Compress

Applying a cold compress to the affected area may ease discomfort and minimise swelling. The cold compress helps constrict blood vessels, slow blood flow, reduce inflammation, numb the site, and stop bleeding. You can use a plastic bag of ice covered in a tea towel if you don’t have a cold pack.

Get Emergency Dental Care

The most important thing you can do after chipping or losing a tooth is to see an emergency dentist as soon as possible. If your tooth is soaked in milk or saliva, bring it with you. Your dentist will try to save the tooth and put it back in its socket.

Dental Treatments for a Broken Tooth

There are several treatment options to repair a broken tooth and restore your smile, including: 

• Dental Bonding

Dental bonding is ideal for mild to moderate breakage and uses a tooth-coloured composite resin to build up layers that are hardened with a curing light. The tooth is then shaped to blend in with your natural teeth. 

• Dental Crown

Dental crowns, also called caps, protect existing teeth from damage and cover the visible part of the tooth.

• Root Canal 

Sometimes dental pulp becomes infected after a tooth experiences trauma. A root canal will be required to remove the infection before a dental crown or filling.

• Tooth Extraction

If the broken tooth is so damaged that it cannot be saved, you may need a tooth extraction. After the tooth extraction, your dentist will set a follow-up appointment for a secondary treatment to replace the tooth and restore your smile with a dental implant, partial denture or dental bridge. 

Schedule an Appointment for an Emergency Dentist

Treatments vary on a case-by-case basis when you go for emergency dental care. However, contact Dapto Dentists on (02) 4210 9058 as soon as possible after breaking your tooth, so our emergency dentist can restore your smile.