Our teeth are extraordinarily strong, but they might chip, crack or even break quite often. This might happen in more than a few ways:

• Biting something that is very hard.
• Being hit or punched on the mouth or face.
• Falling.
• Extensive tooth decay.

When your teeth chip or break, it doesn’t hurt. You might not even perceive the damage caused. Minor fractures of the tooth might not cause any pain, but if a larger piece of tooth chips off, it can be very painful. This is because the underlying nerve is damaged and if this is exposed to cold or hot drinks or foods, air and saliva, it can cause extreme discomfort.

Pain caused by a cracked or a broken tooth can either be constant or it might be periodic. Some people feel this pain while chewing something as it exerts pressure on the teeth.

What can you do?

• Fractured or Cracked Tooth

A fractured or a crack tooth cannot be treated at home. You’ll have to seek your dentist’s help. A tooth might only hurt while you eat or there’s a change in the temperature of your mouth (after drinking something cold or hot). If you are experiencing a continuous pain, it can be a case of damaged blood vessels or nerves. This is an alarming sign.

• Broken Teeth

In case of broken teeth, visit your dentist immediately. Your dentist will be able to understand the cause of the breakage, whether it is caused due to cavities or your teeth’s nerves are in danger. Adults having a damaged nerve would need to go for a root canal, but in case of children, sometimes these damaged nerves can actually be saved with proper and immediate treatment.

Until you reach your dentist’s chamber:

• Save the broken pieces. Your dentist might try to cement all the pieces of tooth to be placed back together.
• Rinse the mouth very nicely with warm water. If you have saved tooth pieces, rinse those as well.
• Put gauze on the bleeding spot and leave it for 10 minutes or till the time the bleeding stops.
• Apply an ice cold pack on the lips and cheeks just over the tooth which is broken. This will lessen the pain and swelling.
• If you are unable to reach the dentist, cover the tooth with dental cement temporarily. This can be found in any drug store.
• Take pain relieves available over-the-counter.

Continue reading: Fractured Teeth Treatments