Broken Tooth? Here’s What You Need to Do | Dental Spa in Uptown Houston

Broken tooth? Here’s what you need to do, according to a walk-in dentist’s office near me.

During dental emergencies, you need to act as quickly as possible. A few hours can make all the difference, especially if you have a broken, chipped, or fractured tooth. If you come upon a dental emergency, you need to know what to do — panicking often worsens the situation. If you have a broken tooth or a knocked-out tooth, you may restore it, but only if you contact the walk-in dentist office near me immediately. This article shows you what you can do to manage a broken tooth, and then we discuss some other dental emergencies.

Step 1: Ask yourself if you need emergency dental services.

Before you panic, you need to determine if you need emergency dental services. Sometimes, situations that seem urgent can actually wait for a few hours. You should only contact an emergency dental clinic “after hours” if your dental emergency can’t wait for regular dental clinic hours.

You should contact an emergency dental clinic if you answer “yes” to any of the following questions:

• Are you bleeding?
• Are your teeth severely cracked, loose, or knocked-out?
• Do you have severe or unbearable toothaches?
• Is your face swollen?
• Are your gums swollen or bleeding?
• Do you also have a fever?

Step 2: Call your emergency dental clinic or Saturday dentist.

All good dental clinics and dentists have an “after-hours” urgent dental care number that you can contact during emergencies. If you don’t have a dentist, google “emergency dentist near me open now.” When the dentist answers, explain the situation calmly and ask them if you need to visit an emergency dental clinic. The dentist will let you know what your next steps should be, including whether you truly need urgent dental care, or if your situation can wait a few hours. If you can’t get through an emergency dentist, you should have someone take you to a hospital emergency room.

Step 3: Manage your urgent dental care.

You may be suffering from various degrees of broken or chipped teeth. Urgent dental care standard differs for different types of dental situations. The following are some of the most common dental emergencies.

• Severe Toothaches: If you have a severe toothache, you can temporarily relieve the pain by taking an over-the-counter painkiller. However, you should ask the dentist for a recommendation, and avoid taking anticoagulants, like aspirin and ibuprofen, because they cause excessive bleeding.
• Chipped Teeth: In most cases, chipped teeth don’t constitute a dental emergency. If you have a hairline crack or fracture on your tooth, you can go to the emergency dental clinic during regular hours. You still need to get the crack filled, to prevent bacterial decay, but that doesn’t call for urgent dental care.
• Fractured Teeth: If you have fractured teeth with severe cracks, you need to go to the emergency dental clinic immediately, especially if the cracks go under the gum line. You should also collect all teeth fragments and carry them in an airtight container with some saltwater or milk. If you have any facial swelling, place an ice pack on your cheeks for 20 minutes.
• Loose Teeth: Adult teeth should never be loose or weak. If you have a loosened tooth, usually caused by dental injury or trauma, you must go to an emergency dental clinic. You should gently push the tooth back in its place and then bite down to ensure it stays in place. Don’t eat anything from that side of the face, and apply an ice pack to minimize possible swelling.
• Knocked-Out Teeth: Finally, if you have a knocked-out tooth, you need to go to the emergency dental clinic as fast as possible. Your tooth can be reattached if you’re fast, but the chances of reattachment may go down after an hour. You should hold the tooth by the crown, rinse it clean, and either hold it between your cheeks or place it in an airtight container with milk, salt water, or saliva.

What causes craze lines on teeth?

Craze lines are superficial lines that appear on your tooth’s enamel, usually in a vertical line. You can also call them hairline cracks. There are several possible reasons for craze lines, including teeth grinding, misalignment, long-term nail-biting habits, chewing on hard objects, or dental trauma. Craze lines don’t need urgent dental care, but you should contact the dentist when possible, so they can fill the hairline crack, avoiding bacterial decay.

How to fix my half-broken teeth?

Dental filling or bonding are the most common treatments for half-broken or cracked teeth. The dentist applies composite resin or other tooth-colored materials inside the cracks to repair the damage, sealing the cracks. The dentist may use a special light to harden the material. The final result blends with your surrounding teeth, saving your tooth while looking natural.

What are my options in repairing badly chipped front teeth?

The following are your best options to repair a badly-chipped front tooth:

• Dental crowns to cover the entire tooth with a porcelain cap.
• Dental veneers to cover the front face of the teeth, offering cosmetic benefits without functional improvements.
• Bonding to cover up the cracks if you have minimal fractures.
• Fillings to cover up the cracks with composite resin material if the crack isn’t too deep.

How do I know if I need an emergency root canal?

The following are some signs that you may need an emergency root canal:

• Severe and persistent toothaches.
• Tender or swollen gums that bleed while brushing.
• Teeth discoloration.
• Excessive hot and cold sensitivity.
• Cyst-formation in your gums.

Schedule dentist appointments online.

URBN Dental is one of the most reputable dental clinics in Houston, TX. Our dental clinic is open on Saturday, and we also offer walk-in appointments during dental emergencies. For more information, please schedule a dentist appointment online.