If you have ever been chewing on some hard candies, or caught the wrong bump while riding your bike and cracked a tooth– you know that feeling. It is a unique sensation, having a piece of your own teeth floating around in your mouth–sometimes accompanied by blood or food particles. It is important to recognize what has happened and try to calmly handle yourself through the process.
Symptoms of a Broken Tooth
1. Pain: The first thing patients usually notice is sharp and constant pain at the area. The tooth itself does not hurt truly, its the nerve ending the gum tissues inside.
2. Differences in Bite and Speech: Obviously if there is a broken tooth inside the mouth it can be more difficult to bite or speak, depending on where the bite occurred.
3. Bleeding: Yes, there is usually blood. This can be caused by the trauma of the break, the torsion on the root, or infection which may have cause the crack to begin with.
4. Discharge: Occasionally there may be further discharge, this would be especially true if there was a severe infection underneath the gums.
What to do when you Crack a Tooth
Try to remain calm first of all. If there is intense pain, blood, or difficulty breathing call 911 right away. There is usually an emergency dentist aligned with the hospital. If the situation is urgent but not life threatening. Try to set the tooth pieces to the side; both to ensure you have them and to make sure you did not swallow them. Swallowing the tooth pieces could be very dangerous, as there could be sharp sides that injure you. After collecting yourself and your teeth call into your dentist office. Gently try to clean the mouth and the area. If your dentist’s office is closed listen careful to the options on the phone for an after hours/emergency number.
What can you do if your Tooth is Cracked?
See your Dentist and pursue several options
1. Restorative Hygiene- Using practical Hygienic solutions to restore healthy gum tissue and combat infection.
2. Tooth Extraction- In some cases it will be easier to remove the entire tooth. This is especially true if the tooth is infected and the root is compromised.
3. Bonding- A high tech composite is used to bind synthetic tooth material to the are of the crack. It can be used to bind a fracture, or to replace a simple crown piece. The material is shaped to the contours of the original tooth, in line with your chew. Then heat is added to seal the addition.
See your Dentist Early
The sooner you get in the sooner you can get out. If you make it to the dentist early, you may be able to avoid having your tooth extracted. Your Dentist can give you a nice and thorough cleaning to start with a clean slate. Then they can investigate the extent of any fractures or breaks, and make recommendations to care for your teeth.