It happens in the blink of an eye: one moment you’re walking, the next you’re running your tongue over a broken tooth. Breaking a tooth can be scary, and getting it fixed in a timely manner is incredibly important. Here’s what you should do if you’ve just broken or chipped a tooth. For pain relief, you have a couple of options. The most obvious solution is to take an over-the-counter pain reliever, such as Ibuprofen or Tylenol. Rinsing with warm salt water will help to keep the area clean and reduce pain.

A Long-Term Fix For Your Tooth

Even though these methods will help to relieve some or all pain, a cracked or broken tooth isn’t going to repair itself. A broken tooth exposes deeper layers of your teeth that are more susceptible to damage, which can lead to excruciating pain and even infection. When you break a tooth, you’ll need to go to a dentist to have it repaired or replaced. To repair it a dentist can use filling material or if it needs replacement dental implants to which crowns can be attached. Dental implants essentially act as replacement “roots” for your teeth, and will remain long after placement unless acutely damaged. If you’ve just broken a tooth, you should immediately make an appointment with your dentist to have it examined and repaired.

Importance of Emergency Tooth Repair

While you may be able to make it to your regular dentist in a timely fashion, there are times when that’s not an option due to your schedule or level of pain. If this is the case for you, you should look into emergency dental services. The emergency dental repair can often be performed on the day of the incident, minimizing the time you spend in pain and susceptible to infection. Use our emergency dental services for having healthy teeth and a great smile back as soon as possible.