Are chipped teeth mental emergencies? That depends. Minor chips need less dental attention than large chips that come with excruciating pain. Regardless, it can hurt to crack, chip, or break your tooth. Teeth can be damaged in a variety of ways too. And whether you have to see the dentist immediately or wait further will depend on the extent of the chip or how extensive the pain is. With that in mind, let’s look at what you should do if you chip your tooth.
Chipped Tooth: Home Remedies
Unless the chip is minor, there could be no discernable way you could permanently fix your tooth without having to visit a dentist bondi junction. The handy thing you could do at home in the meantime is mitigating the pain and protecting the damaged tooth from catching an infection. Besides, dentists don’t advise home fixes for chipped or broken teeth. Nonetheless, here is what to do in the meantime:
- If the tooth starts bleeding, it would be best to apply pressure with a piece of cloth.
- Rinse your mouth with warm or salty water and apply cold compression on the outer jaw to prevent excessive swelling. Alternatively, you could apply olive oil to the area as it contains eugenol, a numbing agent used in order to avoid inflammation.
- You could opt for over-the-counter pain relievers or anti-inflammatories.
- If the tooth has a chip and a jagged edge, apply dental wax on the edge to prevent it from slicing your tongue or the inside of your mouth.
- If you aren’t able to see the dentist sooner, you can cover and protect the chipped tooth with dental cement.
- If the chip is too big, then consider saving it for the dentist because in some cases, it can be reattached through bonding.
If the above first aid tips cannot apply to your situation, it would be best to call your emergency dentist. And such emergencies that rise to the level of calling the dentist may include:
- Feeling of excruciating pain.
- Experiencing severe swelling.
- Excessive bleeding from the chipped tooth.
Either way, the home remedies are designed to help you until you see the dentist.
But What Dental Options Could You Have At The Dentist?
There is no sure way to remedy a chipped tooth from home. And the ideal situation would be to get an appointment with the dentist as soon as you possibly can. That is because you can’t tell the exact extent of the damage, plus the cracked or chipped edges could further aggravate the damage by cutting the soft tissues, which leads to more pain or potentially cause infection.
In the worst-case scenario, the untreated damage could lead to a root canal, permanent tooth loss, or other teeth complications. That said, let’s explore the remedy options you have available at the dentist depending on the extent of the damage.
- For a Chipped Tooth
If the damage is minimal, the dentist may need to simply polish the chipped tooth’s surface or edge to make it smooth (called cosmetic contouring).
- For Deeper Chips or Cracks
A deeper chip may need extensive repair, especially if it extends into the pulp. In such a case, the dentist may remove, sanitize the pulp, fill the area with gutta-percha and then cap it with a filling or crown.
- Surgery
If the chipped tooth is a molar with more than one root, then a fractured root may need amputation to save the rest of the tooth.
- Extraction
In the worst-case scenario, extraction may be the only solution if a root canal cannot save the tooth.
Just Don’t Panic
The most important thing with a chipped tooth is not to panic. Instead, look for immediate home remedies as you wait for a dentist’s appointment. A chipped tooth can occur because of multiple causes, but they can all be taken care of.
