Treating Broken Tooth
Both children and adults can break, chip or crack a tooth. You may have a collision while playing a sport. You may be involved in a car accident. Maybe you just bit into something too hard. Whatever the cause, you can find relief at our Stamford dentistry center. An expert dentist is ready to give you a thorough examination and then offer a solution to repair your broken tooth and stop your pain. Call today for an examination.
Broken, cracked or chipped teeth are unsightly and sometimes even painful. If you’ve recently broken a tooth, visit your nearby Stamford dentist as soon as possible. The staff at Stamford Dental Arts handle dental emergencies as well as regular checkups. If you wait to have your broken tooth examined, you risk the tooth continuing to crack or worse: causing an infection.
A cracked or broken tooth doesn’t have to be a cause for alarm. Dentists are experts in tooth repair. They can recommend treatment options to get you looking and feeling your best in no time.
Causes and Symptoms of a Broken or Cracked Tooth
You can break or crack a tooth in a variety of ways, including:
- Poor dental health habits
- Untreated cavities
- Blunt force trauma to your mouth
- Teeth grinding
- A misaligned bite
Cracks in your teeth aren’t always visible. They may be too far back in your mouth for you to see, for example. The most common symptoms associated with broken teeth include:
- Sensitivity to hot or cold foods and drinks
- A toothache
- Pain when chewing, especially when eating hard or crunchy foods
- Gums swelling around the tooth
- Swelling in your face
If you’re experiencing one or more of these symptoms, but aren’t sure if you have a broken tooth, visit your dentist for an examination. Even if the pain comes and goes, find out if your tooth is damaged and needs an experienced dentist’s attention.
Cracked Tooth Pain Relief
Broken teeth can be extremely painful. If it’s an emergency, make an appointment as soon as possible. Otherwise, while you wait to see your dentist, you can do a few things to mitigate the pain from your cracked tooth, such as:
- Take over-the-counter pain medication. A pain reliever like acetaminophen or ibuprofen eases your pain and reduces swelling. Just don’t take them for a long period of time.
- Rinse with a saline solution. To reduce pain and the risk of infection, keep debris from lodging in or around the broken tooth. After eating, rinse with warm salt water to cleanse your mouth and remove pieces of food.
- Avoid acidic drinks. Soft drinks, alcohol and coffee increase the pain in your mouth.
- Ice the area. Place a cold compress or ice pack against your face on the side that hurts. Icing reduces inflammation and mitigates pain.
- Avoid hard or crunchy foods. Celery, nuts, some fruits and hard or chewy candies can aggravate your sore tooth.
Don’t wait to discover the cause of your tooth pain. Visit your dentist as soon as you can to learn which treatment option is best for you. If you’re experiencing tooth pain, delaying broken tooth repair only makes it worse.
Repair Options for Broken or Cracked Teeth
Depending on the severity of the break, crack or chip, your dentist has several repair options for repairing a broken tooth, including:
- Dental bonding. If the crack isn’t too severe, your Stamford dentist may use composite tooth-colored material to bond the tooth together or fill in a chip. Dental bonding is a fast, low-cost option for repairing cracked teeth or crooked front teeth.
- Dental veneers. Sometimes referred to as porcelain veneers because they’re often made of porcelain, these customized shells cover your teeth to protect them and hold them together. Veneers also improve the appearance of your teeth.
- Dental implants. Teeth that cracked due to decay may need to be removed completely. You can replace them with Stamford dental implants.
- Crowns. Crowns are made of metal, resin or porcelain. They cover the top of the tooth and protect the inner pulp from infection and decay.
- Root canal procedure. If the crack in your tooth extends all the way to its pulp, you may need a root canal procedure. Your dentist removes the tooth’s nerve along with any bacteria from the tooth’s root. Once clean, a crown is placed over the whole tooth, protecting it from further infection.
The dentists at Stamford Dental Arts have experience in all these remedies, as well as preventive treatments, such as Invisalign aligners for crooked front teeth that help minimize painful chips and breaks. Since your dentists take your comfort seriously, they offer sedation, which makes your procedures painless. Your comfort is always a top priority at Stamford Dental Arts. Contact us today for a consultation.
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