If you break your tooth, contact us immediately. You will also want to take certain precautions until your appointment date.

WHY A TOOTH MAY BREAK

Your tooth may break for one of several reasons, and it can or cannot hurt, depending on the location and severity. Teeth may break or fracture because of an injury or accident or crumble because of tooth decay or chewing on hard candy. Teeth grinding or bruxism can also lead to a broken tooth. A fracture may surface as well if a filling is too large, causing a break, or the tooth becomes worn.

WHAT YOU SHOULD DO WHEN A TOOTH BREAKS

If your tooth breaks, you should rinse your mouth with some warm water to clean the area around the damaged tooth. Next, you need to apply a cold compress to reduce any swelling. Contact us immediately and tell us what happened. We can give you further instructions after we listen to the nature of the complaint. Ensure you follow our directions completely to ensure the tooth and surrounding teeth do not receive further damage.

WHAT ARE THE MAIN TYPES OF TOOTH BREAKS OR FRACTURES?

A small tooth fracture involves the hard outer shell of the tooth or the enamel. The human eye may not see it and normally is considered a cosmetic problem. If the fracture is medium-sized, the break usually goes through the enamel and ends at the soft tooth layer just beneath the enamel, called the dentin. When this type of fracture happens, you may experience sharp pain or increased tooth sensitivity. A large tooth fracture usually goes through all three layers of the tooth or to the pulp where the tooth’s nerve can be found. In this case, noticeable bleeding and intense pain may occur.

Regardless of the type of tooth fracture, you need to pay a visit to our office and have the tooth checked as soon as possible. Give us a call now for an exam if you suspect that your tooth has been fractured or a significant break has occurred.