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What to do If a Tooth is Damaged
by Chris Tillington
http://www.uwdental.com
When a tooth is damaged due to chipping, breaking or
fracturing, or if a filling has been compromised, steps
need to be taken in order to provide appropriate care for
the tooth until your dentist can be seen. Otherwise,
infection can set in or the tooth itself can suffer further
damage, which may result in the eventual loss of the tooth
or other dental problems.
If something has happened to cause a tooth to become
broken, chipped or fracture in some way, take steps to see
your dentist within two to three hours of the time that the
damage was sustained. Of course, if the damage is
extensive, or comes about as the result of a trauma of some
sort, such as a motor vehicle accident, you may need to be
treated at the emergency room before you can see your
dentist or dental technician. In most cases, the damaged
area can be repaired, or the tooth can be saved through
more aggressive treatment, such as capping or filling.
The first thing to worry about is bleeding. If you apply
direct, gentle pressure to the affected gum area, not to
the tooth itself, this can usually be stopped. Where you
apply pressure depends on the area of the damaged tooth:
you apply pressure above or below the tooth. For an upper
tooth, apply pressure above the tooth, for a lower tooth,
apply pressure on the area of the gums below the tooth.
Rinse your mouth gently with warm water if there's swelling
and then apply a cold compress to the area.
If you find a piece of a broken or chipped tooth after you
have had damage to a tooth, bring the piece or pieces with
you when you go to the dentist. Since he has the required
skills and equipment, many times the dentist can repair the
tooth with these broken pieces. He will usually cement them
back together, and that is cheaper and easier than having
to replace the tooth. You don't have to bring lost fillings
if you find them, because the dentist can just as easily
make a new filling for that tooth.
Depending upon where the damage was sustained, there may be
jagged edges on the tooth that was chipped or broken. In
this type of scenario, the sharp ends can irritate the
surrounding soft tissue of the mouth. In order to prevent
this, use a small piece of soft wax or temporary dental
filler in the damaged area. It's always a good idea to
keep something of this nature on hand, in case such a
circumstance should arise.
Eat only soft foods until you've be seen by your dentist,
if you must eat. Be sure to chew on the opposite side
of the mouth from the damaged tooth. You will cause
further irritation and perhaps even infection, if you chew
on the damaged tooth, resulting in further damage or
possible tooth loss. Avoid extremely hot or cold foods.
These foods can cause further pain and can further
irritate the damaged area.
One of the things that you should avoid is taking any
aspirin product that may interrupt the coagulation process.
Advil, Motrin and Aleve are alright, as long as they're
taken in small doses. Just be sure that you don't have any
allergies which might present a problem when taking these
OTC medications, and confirm that they won't interfere with
any prescription medicines that you may be taking at the
time. A quick call to your pharmacist should provide the
answer to that question.
In many cases, steps can be taken to repair dental damage
without losing a tooth, and you'll increase your chances of
keeping the damage to a minimum by following these basic
common-sense guidelines, as well as visiting your dental
health provider routinely, in order to keep your teeth
healthy and clean.
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