What to do with Fractured and Broken Teeth

Introduction

Your teeth are remarkably strong for all the wear and tear they go through, but then can chip and occasionally break if they aren’t taken care of. Anything that creates any undue trauma, such as biting down on something hard, getting punched in the teeth, falling, developing cavities or even improper fillings can wear down or simply break the tooth enamel and compromise the integrity of your teeth.

When a tooth breaks or chips, you won’t necessarily feel it right away. You might encounter a sharp edge by running your tongue over it, but unless the break is serious enough to hit the nerve, you likely won’t feel much. If a big part of the tooth breaks off however you will feel the pain quickly as it will no doubt hit the nerve and create a very painful sensation that you can’t ignore. If you have a crack or a chip in your tooth you won’t typically notice it until it is exposed to air or you drink something hot or cold. If your tooth is chipped, you might feel pain on and off for a while, but the best thing you can do is get to the dentist in any case. There are a few things you can do before getting to the dentist, just to ease your pain. You can use a hot or cold compress to numb the pain, put something clean and sterile against your tooth stop any bleeding, and you can even go to the local drugstore to purchase some dental cement if needed.