August 1, 2022
A tooth breaking off is frightening. The damage can occur because of an impact on your face or everyday life. Fortunately, there is no reason for you to panic because repairing a broken tooth is not a challenge if you contact the dental office near me immediately. However, if you suspect you have a fractured tooth, here are some actions you can take.
What Causes Broken Tooth Pain?
Your tooth is part of your body, similar to your hands or fingers. Therefore, if you encounter an injury to any part of your body, you will undoubtedly experience pain. Similarly, if you play contact sports and take an impact on your mouth to break your tooth in half, you will experience discomfort that can make you panic.
Sustaining a broken tooth due to general wear and tear on your teeth from daily life is also a possibility. You can support a broken tooth if you like crunching on complex objects like candy or ice. Problems like bruxism causing you to indulge in teeth grinding and jaw clenching also damage your teeth. Over time you can expect pain from the broken tooth because your tooth enamel weakens and causes your tooth to break.
How to Identify If Your Tooth Pain Results from a Broken Tooth?
You will likely feel the tooth pain from the broken tooth immediately as it occurs. For example, if you experience unexpected pain when eating extremely hot or cold foods indicates you might have a broken tooth. You might also experience intermittent pain when chewing food with a broken tooth.
Actions to Take If Your Tooth Cracks in Half
If your tooth cracked in half, calling your dentist’s office immediately to schedule an appointment is optimal. Ignoring a broken tooth is not suggested because your condition could worsen, and the tooth can become infected.
The infection might begin in the dental pulp and spread to the gums besides your jawbone. If you cannot get to your dentist for prompt treatment, you can continue your regular dental hygiene practices remaining cautious about brushing the broken tooth gently.
Do not consider leaving the broken tooth untreated for long because your mouth bacteria attack the tooth without wasting time. Instead, visit the emergency dentist near you for treatment immediately.
What Are the Different Treatment Options for Broken Tooth Pain?
The sooner you see the emergency dentist, the better your chances of preserving the tooth. The dental professional will examine the broken tooth and determine the best treatment to save it. Given below are some treatment options dentists choose for a broken tooth.
- You might not require intensive treatments if you have lost some tooth enamel or a chipped filling. Instead, the dentist might provide a new filling or bond the tooth with some tooth-colored composite resin bonding material.
- If a tiny portion of your tooth is broken, the dentist might recommend protecting the remaining portion of the tooth with dental fillings or a dental crown.
- If you have a severe fracture, the dentist offers endodontic surgery to eliminate the fractured portion to protect the dental pulp in the tooth.
- If the fracture extends to the dental pulp, you might require a root canal or tooth extraction if you refuse the treatment.
Breaking your tooth in half is scary and makes you think you probably need a replacement tooth at high costs. Fortunately, several treatment options to restore the tooth are available from dentists. However, you must have the tooth evaluated at the earliest to ensure the best outcome. Delaying the treatment or ignoring the issue will result in tooth loss and a search for replacements in dentures, bridges, or implants.
How To Protect Teeth From Breaking Off?
Protecting your teeth from breaking off is not challenging. However, suppose you are diligent with your dental hygiene routine and schedule appointments with your dentist for exams and cleanings. In that case, your dentist can recommend preventive measures to help you ensure you never confront a broken tooth.
For example, dentists recommend not using your teeth to bite on complex objects like ice or hard candy and wearing mouthguards if involved in sporting activity with the potential to impact your mouth. In addition, teeth grinding and jaw clenching treatments require customized night guards to keep your teeth from contacting each other when sleeping.
Therefore if you adopt the preventive measures recommended by your dentist, you can comfortably avoid a situation that causes stress and require help from emergency dentists.
Holger Dental Group — Minneapolis provides treatments for broken, cracked, and chipped teeth without making you wait in a queue if you contact them immediately. If you want to restore your broken tooth, please do not hesitate to contact this practice for tooth repair.
FAQs
What causes a tooth to break in half?
A tooth can fracture or break from trauma (e.g., a blow to the face), biting hard objects (ice, hard candy), enamel weakening over time, grinding/bruxism, or decay that undermines the tooth structure.
What should I do immediately if half of my tooth breaks off?
- Reach out to your dentist immediately to book an emergency visit.
- Clean your mouth carefully with warm water to clear debris.
- If there’s bleeding, apply light pressure with gauze or a clean cloth.
- If you can find the broken fragment, gently rinse it (don’t scrub) and store it in milk, saliva, or a safe container to keep it moist.
- Use a cold compress to reduce swelling and take over‑the‑counter pain relief (if safe for you)
- Avoid chewing on the broken side, and do not try to glue or fix the tooth yourself.
What treatment options are available?
Relying on the extent of the damage, a dentist may suggest:
- Composite bonding or filling to restore small damage
- A dental crown to cap and protect the remaining tooth structure
- Root canal therapy (if the fracture has gone as far as the pulp or exposes the nerve)
- Extraction (if the tooth is irreparable) followed by replacement options (bridge, implant, denture)
Can a tooth broken in half be saved?
Often yes—if treatment is prompt, the dentist may preserve the tooth using restorative work. The key is the degree of the break (how far it extends, whether the root is involved) and whether the nerve is affected. Delaying treatment reduces the chance of saving the tooth.
What happens if I leave it untreated?
Risks include infection (into the pulp or root canal), abscess formation, further breakage, loss of the tooth, damage to adjacent teeth, pain, and compromised oral health.
How can I prevent a tooth from breaking in the future?
- Avoid biting on hard objects (ice, popcorn kernels, pens)
- Keep on a mouthguard if you play contact sports or are at risk of dental trauma
- Manage teeth grinding (use night guards)
- Upkeep good oral hygiene and visit the dentist regularly so issues can be caught early
How soon must I see the dentist?
As soon as possible—ideally the same day. The sooner you get professional care, the better the opportunities of saving the tooth and avoiding complications.
