How to Fix a Broken or Fractured Tooth at Home?

Broken Tooth

Although teeth are generally strong, and are often considered one of the strongest bones in the body, this does not mean that these are unbreakable. The fact is that teeth can also break, chip or crack at some point in time, like chewing on something hard for instance.

Some of the other causes of broken or chipped tooth or teeth are dental caries, cavities, getting punched in the face or having been involved in accidents. Depending on the extent of the damage, a broken tooth may either cause no pain at all or result to extreme pain.

A chipped tooth could bring discomfort as well when the tongue feels the sharp area quite often. However, it is advised to see a dentist immediately if the damaged tooth hurts all the time as it may indicate other problems like damaged blood vessels or nerves.

How to Fix a Broken Tooth?

A tooth can have different breakages or fractures. Each of these may require different treatments.

• “Craze lines”, or the minor cracks, refer to the breaks on the outer surface of the teeth or the enamel.

  The dentist will smoothen out rough areas in the tooth.

• A cracked tooth involves breakage of the whole tooth. It is a state in which the crack will slowly spread. A filling or a crown may be applied by the dentist. In worst cases, wherein the nerves are already affected, a root canal may be performed.

• A chipped tooth does not need extensive treatment. The dentist will just repair the tooth to bring back its shape.

• A serious break often causes a nerve to be exposed, causing too much pain. The dentist will have to perform a root canal and cover the tooth with a crown.

• A split root crack may start in the root of the tooth itself extending upward. This may be painful as it can leave the root inflamed. Oftentimes, the tooth will have to be extracted.

• For a split tooth, in which a tooth is split vertically into half, the dentist will try to save one of the roots and cover it with a crown. A root canal will be performed and the roots that cannot be saved will be removed.

• A broken tooth may also result from tooth decay. Treatment will depend on how intense the decay is.

What to Do for a Broken Tooth

There are a number of home remedies for a broken tooth which include:

• Rinsing mouth with warm water

• Using a clean gauze to apply pressure if bleeding occurs

• Applying cold compress on the cheek to ease swelling and pain.

• If the dentist is not yet around, buy temporary dental cement at the nearest drugstore and cover the broken tooth with it.