Know Everything About Broken Tooth!!

You often get into this mess of losing part or whole of the tooth, and this is actually a nasty situation in several ways. You may get severe pain there, or the sharp edge of the broken tooth may cut the cheek and other areas of the skin in the mouth while chewing or biting. Besides, if left untreated the broken part may accumulate dirt and food particles can later turn into serious infections in the gum too. It looks bad too when a front tooth is broken, and often leaves your inner lips with cuts and abrasions when the sharp edge of the broken tooth rips off skin inside the mouth as you chew. 

The first aid part 

There are several ways to manage a broken tooth, and the initial steps of first aid after the incident are as follows: 

1. To control the acute pain after a tooth breaks, you may take a painkiller like paracetamol (if you have no known allergy to the same). This will soothe the pain, and make it much easier and bearable. 
2. You may try sticking some sugarless chewing gum on the tooth to prevent the edges from cutting inside the mouth. In case a gum is not available, you may try putting some simple wax in there. 
3. Try to have food which will require less of chewing, or go on a liquid diet. This will help prevent any further damage to the tooth and surrounding tissues. 

Filling and Bonding- The initial treatment 

On going to the dentist, based on the severity, you will be suggested various remedies. A tooth filling or bonding is generally the remedy. If a small portion of the tooth is broken, then the tooth can be simply filed. In case it is one of the rear teeth, the tooth will be chipped and filed to smoothen the cut edge so that it never again pokes the skin around. If the break is not small, then bonding is a good option. The dentist fills the rest of the tooth space with a resin or porcelain material to make it look whole and natural again, and this solves the problem both physically and cosmetically. 

Crowning the tooth 

If the tooth is damaged till the nerve, root canal treatment may be needed, and thereafter a cap or crown is placed over the broken tooth. This restores both natural looks and the strength to chew. 

What happens in case the entire front tooth of my child pops out of the mouth?

Do not panic in such a situation. Time is of utmost importance in such conditions. Pick the tooth from the crown portion (the portion which is visible in the mouth) and wash it under the gentle flow of tap water. After that, preserve the tooth in saline or milk. If a clean container is not available and the child is conscious, the tooth can be preserved under the tongue. Once this emergency measure is taken, rush to the dentist as soon as possible. The same tooth can be replaced (replanted) in its original position. The success of this procedure will be much more predictable if the tooth is replaced in its original place within the first few minutes. If you wish to discuss about any specific problem, you can consult a dentist.