Everything You Need To Know About Broken Or Chipped Teeth

A dental crown can be placed over a broken or chipped tooth. It helps to protect the chipped, cracked, or broken tooth so further damage is not done to the tooth while you are eating. A dental crown can also help to conceal a chipped or broken tooth that may be visible to others. If you have a chipped or broken tooth, you may have many questions about how it happened or what to do about it. Here is what you need to know about broken or chipped teeth. 

How Does a Tooth Get Chipped or Broken

There are many ways in which a tooth can become chipped or broken. If you bite into something hard, such as unexpectedly biting into a popcorn kernel while eating popcorn, you can break or chip a tooth. If there is an impact, such as a ball hitting your face while playing sports, you can chip or crack a tooth. Lastly, a tooth may break, chip, or crack when it is weakened due to a cavity. 

What to Do When a Tooth Gets Chipped or Broken

If your tooth gets chipped or broken, you may be unsure of what to do. If this happens to you, the first thing you should do is to rinse your mouth with a mixture of warm water and salt. The salt will help to kill germs and bacteria. Do not worry about saving any pieces of the tooth that may remain. They usually cannot be re-adhered or repaired. If bleeding is present, press gauze firmly against the gums or tooth that is bleeding to help stop the bleeding. 

Whether a Chipped or Broken Tooth is a Dental Emergency

If you have chipped or broken a tooth, you will want to contact your dentist or an emergency dentist. They will be able to tell you whether you need to be seen immediately or whether you can wait. In most cases, a chipped or broken tooth does not require same-day emergency treatment. The exceptions are if you are experiencing bleeding that won't subside or if you are in severe pain. If either of those is the case, you will need to be seen by an emergency dentist immediately. 

If you have a chipped or broken tooth, you will want to contact your dentist during normal business hours. They can evaluate the tooth. Odds are high that they will recommend a dental crown to help protect the tooth and disguise any visible damage. 

For more information on dental crowns, contact a dentist's office like Demianko Dental Care.