Breaking, chipping, or knock a tooth out at home could be your worst nightmare, not to mention pain! It’s important to know how to prevent this from happening and what to do when it does! Teeth can be damaged in a number of ways, and the damage can be slight or extensive depending on the condition of your teeth and the type of injury.
Prevention: Unless the damage is a minor chip, there’s no permanent way to fix it without seeing a dentist. The best thing you can do in the meantime is to address the pain and protect your tooth and the inside of your mouth to avoid further injury.
What to do if you chip or break a tooth at home:
Whilst our dentists don’t advise home fixes for broken teeth, there are some things you can do to protect your tooth and mouth. According to the Australian Dental Association, if you break or chip a tooth, you should rinse your mouth with warm water right away to clean the area, apply pressure to stop any bleeding, and place a cold compress on the area to reduce swelling.
If your tooth breaks and you can find the piece of a broken tooth, wrap it a damp binding or a jar and bring it with you to the dentist. If the tooth is dirty, simply rinse it under cold water, do not try to wash the tooth, and deliver it to the dentists under an emergency appointment within 30 minutes.
Emergency Appointments:
If you or a family member has broken, chipped, or knocked out a tooth, call us immediately to book your appointment today! Bookings for broken tooth are required within 30 minutes of the tooth being knocked out for optimal results! Call us today on (07) 5370 8865!
How to relieve pain from a chipped tooth:
Depending on the severity of the chip, the pain and sensitivity will be minor in some cases. However, in server cases it’s important to flush the inside of your mouth with warm water, and apply cold compresses to the outside area every few minutes to keep down the swelling. There are also other options for you including over-the-counter (OTC) pain relief and anti-inflammatory medications, it is important to only take these as recommended.