If your tooth is cracked, it can hurt a lot to chew or be near something hot or cold. Things that you hit, grind or bite hard can get cracks. This is good for your mouth. Learn what to do and how to deal with the pain that comes with it.
What is a broken tooth? How do you fix it? How do you handle the pain? The team of expert dentists at Jasper Family Dental helped us put together this useful material.
Recognizing Symptoms of a Cracked Tooth
If you know the signs of a broken tooth, you can get care faster. These signs depend on the type and depth of the crack. Broken teeth that aren’t fixed can get infected and lead to tooth loss. A few common signs:
- Sharp pain that comes and goes, especially when you chew or bite.
- More sensitive to foods and drinks that are hot, cold, or sweet.
- Microscopic cracks can hurt for a long time.
- Swelling around the tooth or lips.
Common Teeth Cracking Causes
Some causes of cracks are preventable; others are not. Depending on the problem, your doctor will likely tell you different ways to treat a cracked tooth. Common causes include:
- Crushing ice, hard sweets, or opening goods with teeth can cause minor cracks.
- Grinding your teeth at night can weaken and break your teeth.
- Tooth breaks and chips can happen in sports, falls, and other events.
- It’s more likely for teeth to break if they have big fillings in them.
- As people age, their teeth become more fragile, causing them to snap and break more frequently.
Easy Ways to Treat Pain from Cracked Teeth
If your teeth are cracked, you should see a dentist immediately. Until then, you can ease the pain at home.
- Don’t eat anything tough while the crack is still healing.
- Warm salt water rinses away swelling and dirt, which eases pain.
- Dental wax or sugar-free gum can help fix a broken tooth for a short time.
- Putting a cold cloth on your face will help you remove the stuck tooth and reduce the pain and swelling.
- Ibuprofen and acetaminophen are painkillers that you can buy without a prescription. Do not take aspirin if you need to go to the hospital. It might make you bleed more.
Jasper Family Dental advises using these home treatments only if a professional recommends them. They might temporarily help with pain.
How to Fix Cracked Teeth
The Jasper Family Dental dentists may suggest one of several ways to fix the crack, depending on how bad it is:
- Your doctor may tell you to use tooth-colored composite glue to fix small cracks or chips in your teeth. It will make your teeth look better and stronger.
- Dental crowns restore chewing and speech function after a tooth fracture. The majority of crowns are long-lasting and constructed of metal, porcelain, or clay.
- If the crack reaches the pulp, a root canal and crown may be necessary to remove the damaged or diseased pulp. The pulp is where all the nerve endings and blood veins are.
- If the crack is below the gum line, it might not be possible to fix the tooth. It needs to be removed to avoid an infection or an abscess.
- A check by a dentist is the best way to find out how bad the problem is and the best way to treat it.
Preventing Future Tooth Cracks
With preventative treatment, teeth break less often. Something to think about so that you won’t get cracks in the future –
- Stay away from things that are too hard. Avoid eating ice or hard candy. Instead, eat something soft.
- If you grind your teeth at sleep or participate in sports that involve harsh contact, you should wear a mask to protect your teeth.
- Checkups with your doctor might detect minor issues early on and address them before they worsen.
- Take care of your teeth. Everyday cleaning and brushing make teeth stronger and less likely to get infections, so breaking a tooth is less likely to happen.
- Too much acid and sugar in food and drinks can damage tooth enamel, increasing the likelihood of cavities. Avoiding these things will strengthen your teeth and make them less likely to crack or break.
How Often Should You Go to The Dentist
If any of these things happen, even if the cracks are small, you should see a dentist:
- Dental specialists can address these symptoms early to avoid consequences. Untreated fractured teeth can cause discomfort, infection, and tooth loss.
- If your pain won’t go away, over-the-counter pain drugs might not help. It might be a sign of something bigger going on.
- Untreated swelling, redness, or pus surrounding a damaged tooth may indicate a potentially spreading infection.
- If there is swelling or discomfort when opening or swallowing, it may indicate infection spread.
Conclusion
People often get cracked teeth, which can be very painful if they are not fixed. Knowing what causes the pain, what the signs are, and how to treat it at home might help temporarily. If you have broken teeth, you should see a dentist right away.
Checkups, preventative care, and early dental care keep teeth healthy. If you do these things and go to the doctor, your teeth will stay strong. Dentists at Jasper Family Dental are experts at curing dental cracks without causing any discomfort.