Not every broken tooth is a dental emergency, but it is important to know the warning signs so that you can take action immediately. Some patients can delay their next visit to the dentist, while others may need instant treatment. The not-so-serious emergencies can be relieved using over-the-counter medication. However, the serious ones can affect the structure of your teeth.
If you are unsure whether you should or should not visit the dentist after breaking a tooth, this blog can give you the information you need to take your next step. Meanwhile, if you are looking for the best dental care for your family in Burlington, ON, consider visiting Dental Health Group. Meanwhile, here are some steps you can take when you have a broken tooth.
Deciding whether it is a medical emergency
A broken tooth is usually an emergency. In fact, a significant percentage of emergencies in dental offices are related to tooth breakages. People can break their teeth while playing a sport, eating hard food such as candy, or in a slip, trip, and fall accident. Although some tooth breakages are an emergency issue, others may not fall in the emergency category.
Minor tooth fractures or chipping of a tooth does not require an immediate visit to the dentist’s clinic. The reason is that these conditions do not affect a person’s general well-being or health. Therefore, if you cannot visit the dentist immediately or have important tasks to complete, you can schedule an appointment later.
However, a major tooth breakage calls for an emergency visit to the dentist. You will know that a major fracture has occurred when a big part of a tooth has broken off. This can cause unbearable pain unless you take medications and bleeding as well.
Steps to take when you have a minor fracture in your tooth
- Remove pieces of the broken tooth from your mouth.
When a part of your tooth is broken or chipped, carefully remove it from your mouth and rinse it with water or milk. Keep the broken piece safely submerged in a saline solution.
- Rinse your mouth with water.
Next, you must rinse your mouth with water to remove small debris.
- Use ice packs to ease the swelling.
A tooth breakage can cause immense pain and swelling. You may be able to ease the pain with over-the-counter medication. The swelling can be improved using ice packs at home.
- Visit your dentist as soon as possible.
Regardless of whether your condition is an emergency, visiting your dentist after an accident is always the better choice. You never know when a small mishap could turn into something big.
