Broken, fractured or chipped teeth are a very common event. It usually doesn’t cause any immediate pain to the tooth, but can quickly become very painful to the tongue. You will notice it gets worse quickly if required to talk a lot.
At Sarasota Dentistry, we consider this a true dental emergency and encourage our patients to come in right away so that we can fix the sharp tooth. Calling your dentist for an appointment right away is the best option. But, if you are away or you can not reach the dentist’s office, there are some at-home remedies to get you out of pain until you can visit your dentist. First, let’s look at how a dentist may fix a sharp broken tooth:
In-Office remedies for a chipped or broken tooth causing pain to your tongue
- Smooth the sharp area with a dental bur and polish
- Repair the cracked filling, crown, or tooth with tooth colored bonding
- Repair the cracked filling, crown, or tooth with a new dental crown or onlay
- Place a temporary sedative filling to provide comfort until you can return to have permanent work done
- A severely cracked or broken tooth could require removal of the tooth and placement of a dental implant or dental bridge
Now that we know how dentists fix broken teeth, what can you do to fix a broken tooth at home? It’s a great question. Here are some of Sarasota Dentistry’s best tips for how to fix a cracked tooth at home while waiting to get to the dentist:
At-Home remedies for a sharp broken or chipped tooth cutting your tongue
- Try to see your dentist first: don’t put a Dremel tool in your mouth! Note that anything you put in your mouth could be swallowed or aspirated (inhaled) so be careful!
- Go to your local drug store and ask for temporary filling material. One brand is Dentemp dental filling and cap repair material. Mix as directed and apply to chipped area forming a smooth surface to your tongue. The drug store also sells a temporary crown material if you loose or chip a large portion of your crown or filling. This comes in handy if it is a front tooth – chipped, broken, or missing front teeth can be very embarrassing!
- Wax is another temporary solution. If you ever had braces, you have used orthodontic wax around sharp wires and brackets. This was may be available at your local drugstore.
- Anything that sticks to the tooth could be a temporary solution. Chewing gum placed over the fractured area has worked well as a temporary solution for many patients.
- Some have also tried to file or smooth their tooth. This is a risky proposition and not recommended. Definitely not a good idea if you feel any pain. A nail file is usually the instrument of choice. Diamond coated abrasive surface may work most efficiently. Don’t bother with an Emery board. Tooth enamel is very hard and requires either a sharp carbide blade or diamond surface to cut and smooth.
- Limit the amount of talking and chewing until the broken tooth is patched or repaired in order to minimize the long-term pain.
- Pain pills and numbing gel will only mask the pain and allow the soft tissue ulceration to worsen.
Visit Sarasota Dentistry to fix your sharp, chipped, or broken tooth.
Call the dental offices of Sarasota Dentistry to schedule an appointment with Dr. Hank Michael at (941) 929-7645 or e-mail us today!
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