Minor dental fractures, or chipped teeth, are dental fractures that don't require an immediate visit to the dental office. The reason is that these situations don't pose any immediate threat to the patient's overall health and well-being. Therefore, scheduling a regular dentist appointment should suffice. But does a broken tooth require an emergency visit to the dentist? The answer to that question isn't always clear. It depends on the severity of the fracture.
For example, smaller chips can wait for a regularly scheduled appointment. However, seek medical attention right away if a significant part of the tooth breaks. In many cases, a dentist can include emergencies in the program at any time. First of all, it's important to differentiate between a broken tooth and a chipped or cracked one. Most splinters and cracks don't require immediate emergency treatment.
The person simply needs to be careful about the type of food they bite while one of their teeth is damaged. Hard foods and extreme temperatures are best avoided when dealing with a cracked or chipped tooth. Over-the-counter medications can be used to manage any pain associated with the injury while the patient waits for a dentist appointment. In some cases, people will immediately know that a tooth has cracked or broken. They will feel it crack and they may find a piece of tooth in their mouth.
This could happen if they have bitten something hard like ice. It can also occur as a result of a blow to the mouth during a car accident, a fall, or even a fist fight. A dental emergency would require consulting a dental professional for help. If you need immediate care, it's best to try to schedule a same-day appointment. And, if you can't get a same-day appointment, you can try going to a hospital emergency room or urgent care center. This is one way to get medical treatment while waiting to see the dentist.
So what qualifies as a dental emergency? If you find that your mouth is bleeding excessively, if you experience severe tooth pain, or if you have tooth loss, it is considered a dental emergency. However, a broken tooth may not require immediate dental care. If you just chipped a tooth and you don't experience sharp pain, only discomfort, then scheduling a dentist appointment may be enough. A chipped tooth is not a threat to your immediate health or general well-being. If you experience any toothache, it can be managed with over-the-counter medications until you can see your regular dentist. Your dentist will most likely smooth out a small splinter.
In the case of a broken tooth, the dentist may need to fill the space with a composite dental bonding material that matches the teeth. Remember that a broken or chipped tooth, while not always an emergency, should be treated sooner rather than later. If left untreated for too long, it could cause more damage to the tooth or mouth. If you have a chipped tooth or even a broken tooth, you should see a dentist as soon as possible. Cavities and other dental cavities can also weaken tooth enamel, as can heartburn or acid reflux, along with the consumption of significant amounts of sugar or acidic foods such as coffee, fruit and fruit juices, and spicy foods. However, unlike veneers, crowns cover the entire tooth rather than just the front or visible part of the tooth.
People over the age of fifty are also more at risk of chipped or broken teeth as tooth enamel weakens with age. Repairing a chipped tooth or slightly chipped tooth for teeth with veneers means placing porcelain covers over front teeth resulting in a smooth natural look that is identical to or even better than your original teeth. Using clove oil around painful gum spots can also help numb the area around the chipped tooth. Avoid using the chipped tooth until it is fixed to chew and adhere to soft foods and wear a mouth guard if you play sports or if you grind your teeth at night. Acidic foods and stomach acids break down enamel and leave the tooth surface exposed and it's more likely to chip or break. You should schedule a consultation with your dentist as soon as possible if a tooth has been chipped or broken. There are various ways to treat a broken tooth depending on the severity of the chipping or breakage ranging from simple joints and veneers to caps or crowns and fillings. If only small part of the tooth is chipped then the dentist may simply smooth out its edges so that they are not sharp.
It is usually the result of root canal procedure in which large part of dentin (a softer layer of tooth below outer layer of hard enamel) has been removed which weakens the tooth. In meantime take an over-the-counter medication such as ibuprofen to reduce pain and inflammation apply ice to affected area on outside of cheek or face and consider using temporary dental adhesive material or dental wax to cover irregular edge of tooth and prevent irritation of tongue and gums until you can go to dentist to have your tooth repaired. Main indicators that chipped broken or cracked tooth requires emergency dental repair are pain and bleeding. If you have broken or chipped tooth then you should always see dentist right away to repair chipped tooth. If chip is in visible front tooth then they will suggest filling composed of porcelain or resin so that material matches natural color of teeth.
