What to Do With Broken Tooth Until Dentist?
Have a broken tooth? Waiting for an emergency appointment? Ouch! We get it. A broken tooth is distressing and uncomfortable, but you should take steps to manage the situation correctly before the dentist can help. So, here’s a little guide on what you should do with your broken tooth until you can access professional dental care.
Firstly, remain calm. Panicking is not helpful in situations like this, and while a broken tooth can often feel like the first thing in the world, please let us reassure you that it can be easily repaired and fixed. Consistently touching or picking at the tooth can lead to further damage, so take a deep breath and a step back and know that this will be taken care of (often within an hour) at the dentist’s office.
Steps to take
When waiting for your emergency appointment, do your best to not aggravate your issue and take specific steps to limit the risks.
For example, if you have a suspected tooth abscess, it’s recommended that you avoid hot food and drink and use a soft toothbrush.
Before your appointment, which can also offer you some pain relief, you can swill your mouth with warm salt water, which will disinfect the area.
On the other hand, if you’re missing a tooth, clean it with running water and, if possible, place it back into the socket. If that’s not possible, it’s best to keep your tooth in milk before you see the dentist, which will help maintain the tooth's pH balance and preserve the living elements. Keep the socket clean and free from debris in order to avoid causing an infection.
Emergency appointments are a little different to your routine check-ups.
For example, the dentist will be more focused on locating and treating the source of the problem.
In some instances, to relieve the source of pain, a tooth extraction might be necessary, if the decay is too advanced and there’s nothing that can be done to save the tooth.
However, all treatments and possible options will be discussed with you before undertaking the procedure.
If a tooth is missing, the dentist might be able to reinsert it, but this will depend on how soon you can get an emergency appointment and the condition of the knocked-out tooth. If it’s possible, the dentist will use a splint that attaches to either side of the teeth and is removed a few weeks later.
However, if we cannot reinsert your lost tooth, we would have to discover tooth replacement treatments like dental bridges or dental implants.
If your visit is due to a dental abscess, we will assess the affected area and attempt to remove it. Several procedures can be carried out, depending on the scenario.
However, an incision can be made into the affected area to drain it, although this is a short-term solution to the issue. Subsequent root canals might be required to remove the abscess from the tooth, or an extraction if a root canal is not viable.
Our dentists aim to see patients on the day of their call or within the next 24 hours.
Make sure to call our practice as soon as possible, especially early in the morning to book of these reserved appointments, and our reception team will do their best to get you seen as soon as possible.
