Many situations can lead us to a broken tooth. You are eating steak, and a piece of bone goes under one of your teeth. You bite hard and break your tooth in half. You could also be involved in a fight, and your opponent hits you on the jaw and breaks your front teeth in half. Maybe you frequently forget to brush or even take care of your teeth, and cavities have made them weaker. You break one in half when you bite into your tough biscotti. A broken tooth may be painful. If not treated right away, it could lead to a severe infection.
But if you are living in Utah and can’t get to an emergency dentist in South Jordan right away due to the snow-filled roads, then the following suggestions below can help you deal with your broken tooth:
Rinse your mouth with warm saltwater
Rinsing your mouth with warm saltwater can take care of that toothache you feel when you have a broken tooth. The saltwater is a good antiseptic, so it will kill any bacteria that can cause an infection to your broken tooth. Also, saltwater is even better than some mouthwashes because they have alcohol that can irritate your mouth even more.
Take a painkiller
If you can’t get to a dentist right away, you should take some painkiller to ease your pain. It will definitely hurt, and having toothache is one of the most discomforting sensations ever. If you have any painkiller, take it right away. Take another one after six hours if you still can’t get to a dentist by then.
Press a cold compress on your cheek
Your broken tooth can lead to a swelling of your mouth or at least the part of your cheek closest to the tooth. To minimize the swelling of the cheek, you can apply a cold compress on it. You can also take some Tylenol or Advil to minimize the swelling. Any painkiller can do because it reduces inflammation in your body.
Apply gauze on the tooth
Your broken tooth could be bleeding. If so, you should apply some gauze on it to stop the flow. Now, when you apply the gauze, make sure that the bleeding stops after ten minutes or less; otherwise, there may be some other problem your mouth has that needs to be taken care of.
Use dental cement
Dental cement is available in any drugstore. It’s good for patching up a broken tooth temporarily if you can’t go to an emergency dentist. Buy dental cement right away and put it in the broken tooth to protect it from infection and debris.
Avoid eating for a while
Obviously, you will have to avoid eating for a while because the food particles might end up inside the broken tooth and cause an infection. But if you can’t avoid eating, then eat soft food for a while or at least until you’ve visited your dentist. Soft food can be soup, watermelon, gelatin, etc.
But after all these remedies, make sure to visit your dentist right away. A broken tooth can lead to other complications if you don’t have it taken care of right away. Don’t dillydally and head to your dentist immediately.
