Half my tooth broke off

Whether just a corner of your tooth broke or half of your tooth broke off leaving half in your mouth, you will experience a bit of shock with that surprising turn of events. Whenever your tooth breaks, no matter how much or little, you need to seek dental care. If your tooth break does not leave you in extreme discomfort from the pain, then you may not be too concerned. It is important to remember that teeth do not often break perfectly, so you will be left with jagged edges that may cut your tongue or the delicate soft insides of your cheeks. Additionally, when your full tooth is not there to support the pressure of your bite, you will change where and how you bite down when you chew. These changes to your bite can cause another tooth to break or harm the joint connecting your jaw to the rest of your head.

Hopefully, when half of your tooth breaks off, you can catch it before you swallow it. Set the broken piece aside and then turn your attention to the piece that is still in your mouth. You are going to want to flush your mouth to remove any debris from getting into your exposed gums or the delicate inner tissue of your teeth. The layer of pulp is just below the protective outer enamel; because it is not typically exposed to the inside of your mouth it is sensitive and easily inflamed. When infections settle in the pulp they are often treated with root canal therapy and can lead to more serious and invasive infections if they go untreated. Your body will not be able to fight off an infection of that nature on its own without professional treatment. You can avoid this pain and discomfort with prompt treatment after your tooth breaks in half.

After your mouth is cleaned out with a warm water rinse, you can use gauze or even a wet tea bag to help any bleeding stop. If you are in pain, then you can try to use an over the counter pain medication like ibuprofen to reduce the inflammation. An ice pack may even be helpful to reduce the swelling and pain if your tooth broke from an accident. This is the point when you will want to call the dentist for an appointment. If it is during off hours or when your general dentist is unavailable, then you will want to pursue an emergency dentist. Be sure to provide the person on the phone with the detailed reason why you need an appointment.

If there is time between when your tooth broke in half and when you are able to have your dental appointment, then you may want to use an over the counter bonding agent to attach the broken piece of tooth to the one that is still in your mouth. Most drugstores carry these temporary bonding kits to repair teeth just long enough to prevent more damage until the dentist can provide professional treatment. Your at home skills are no substitute for the training and equipment of a dentist.

Is a broken tooth an emergency