Family and Cosmetic Dentistry in Tulsa
Tulsa, OK
What to do about a chipped or broken tooth
What matters first is how much tooth is gone, whether it hurts, and whether the inside of the tooth is exposed.
Teeth break for ordinary reasons. Biting something hard, a knock playing sport, an old filling finally giving way, or years of grinding thinning the edges until one bite finishes the job. What to do next depends on the damage.
What to do in the first hour
Rinse gently with warm water. If there is bleeding, press clean gauze against it for ten minutes. A cold compress on the cheek limits swelling.
Keep the broken piece if you can find it, put it in milk, and bring it with you. Sometimes it can be bonded back on, and even when it cannot it shows us the shape we are trying to rebuild.
Do not chew on that side. A cracked tooth flexes every time you bite, and each flex extends the crack.
If a whole adult tooth has come out, that is different and it is urgent. Pick it up by the crown, never the root, rinse it gently without scrubbing, and put it back in the socket if you can. If you cannot, keep it in milk and get to a dentist immediately. The chance of saving it falls sharply after the first hour.
How bad is it
A small chip in the enamel with no pain is not an emergency. Enamel has no nerve supply, so a chip that does not hurt has not reached the living part of the tooth. It still needs looking at, because the rough edge cuts your tongue and the weakened corner tends to chip again.
A larger break that is sensitive to air or cold has gone through into the dentine underneath, which does connect to the nerve. That needs treating promptly to keep the nerve calm.
A break that shows a pink or red spot in the middle has exposed the pulp. That is a same-day problem and it usually means a root canal if the tooth is to be kept.
A tooth that has broken off at the gum line, or one that hurts badly when you bite, may have split down the root. Those are not always saveable, and being seen quickly is what decides it.
Not sure where to startCall and describe what is going on.
Call (918) 205-7458How each kind of damage gets repaired
Bonding rebuilds a small chip in one visit, using tooth coloured resin shaded to the teeth beside it. It is the lowest cost repair and it suits front teeth well.
A veneer covers the whole front surface and is the better answer where a front tooth has chipped more than once, or where the edge is worn as well as broken. It corrects the shape and the colour at the same time.
A crown covers the entire tooth and is what a badly broken back tooth needs. Molars take heavy force, and a large filling in a broken molar tends to fail again.
A root canal followed by a crown is the route when the nerve is exposed or has died. The tooth stays, the infection goes.
An extraction and an implant is the last resort, for a tooth that has split below the gum line. Planning the replacement before the extraction makes the whole process shorter.
Why teeth break in the first place
If a tooth broke without much force behind it, something weakened it first. Large old fillings, a tooth that has had a root canal, decay under a filling, and grinding are the usual reasons.
Grinding is worth taking seriously because it will do the same thing to whatever we repair. If your teeth look flattened at the edges or you wake with a sore jaw, a night guard protects both your own teeth and the work.
Call the office
Describe what happened and what you can see, and we will tell you how quickly you need to come in.
Common questions
The questions people ask us most about this, answered plainly.
Is a chipped tooth an emergency
A small chip with no pain is not. Get it seen within a week or two so the rough edge can be smoothed and the corner protected. A break that is painful, sensitive to air, or shows pink in the middle needs to be seen the same day.
Can a broken tooth be saved
Usually, if it has not split below the gum line. Most breaks are repaired with bonding, a veneer, or a crown, and a break that has reached the nerve is treated with a root canal and then crowned. Being seen quickly is what keeps the options open.
Should I keep the broken piece
Yes. Keep it in milk and bring it in. It can sometimes be bonded back on, and when it cannot it still tells us the original shape.
Get it looked at
Call the office, describe what is going on, and we will tell you how soon you need to come in.