Related topics: •  Dental Problems •  Losing a Permanent Tooth •  Mouth and Tooth Injuries

Tooth enamel is made of the hardest substances in the human body, but teeth still have their breaking point. Any sharp blow to the mouth -- whether it's from a door, the sidewalk, or a baseball -- can damage a tooth. Breaks range all the way from minor chips to major fractures. Some are just cosmetic problems, but others are true emergencies. Here's what you need to know about caring for broken teeth.

Each tooth has three layers: enamel, the hard outer coating; dentin, the main part of the tooth; and pulp, the fleshy nerve center. Many people who "chip" their teeth simply knock out a chunk of enamel. They may have a gap in their smile, but they aren't likely to feel much pain. If enough enamel breaks off, though, the dentin can be exposed. The tooth still shouldn't hurt too much, but it may be very sensitive to cold. The worst breaks go all the way to the pulp. Not surprisingly, this causes extreme pain as well as bleeding from the tooth.

If you have a minor chip in your tooth, there's no need to panic. You're not in any danger of losing your tooth. If you have any discomfort, take an over-the-counter painkiller such as ibuprofen (Advil). Then call your dentist for an appointment.

If you have a more serious fracture, consider it a dental emergency. Rinse your mouth with warm water and call your dentist to get an appointment right away. Before hopping in the car, take a painkiller (as long as it is not aspirin) and, if possible, put an ice pack on your mouth to reduce the swelling. Aspirin isn't the best choice in a dental emergency because it can increase the risk of heavy bleeding.

Minor chips usually don't require treatment. If you don't like the way it looks, your dentist can either smooth out the chip with a sandpaper disc or fill it in with a composite material. Either way, you'll have to take it easy on your tooth for a few days. While you're in the office, your dentist should take an x-ray of the damaged tooth.

More serious breaks call for immediate treatment. If the dentin is exposed, your dentist can cover it with a hard, enamel-like coating of calcium hydroxide. As long as the pulp is still healthy, the tooth can usually be completely fixed with a permanent crown. If the pulp is damaged, however, treatment becomes more complicated. A general dentist or endodontist may perform root canal treatment to remove all or part of the damaged pulp before putting on a crown.

If the break in your tooth is anything more than a tiny chip, your dentist will want to see you again soon to make sure your tooth is healing properly. In the meantime, treat it -- and all your other teeth -- with care. Brush and floss every day and wear a mouthguard when you play sports. If you don't have a mouthguard, your dentist can fit you with one. Teeth may be hard, but they still deserve a break -- the good kind, that is.

-- Chris Woolston, MS, is a health and medical writer with a master's degree in biology. He is a contributing editor at Consumer Health Interactive and was the staff writer at Hippocrates, a magazine for physicians. He has also covered science issues for Time Inc. Health, WebMD, and the Chronicle of Higher Education.

References

First published March 4, 2003
Last updated February 11, 2008
Copyright © 2003 Consumer Health Interactive

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