Have you bitten on a hard object or suffered from a physical accident that has caused your tooth to accidentally crack? This is likely to be because the molars in your tooth absorb the aggressive biting force or trauma experienced. This leads to the tooth becoming cracked. Whilst your enamel protects your teeth, your teeth are still susceptible to suffering from cracks. A cracked tooth can lead to nerve damage as well. Sometimes, the health of the tooth can be a key reason for the crack to appear.
How Is A Cracked Tooth Treated?
A cracked tooth is a common dental emergency. The severity of a cracked tooth is also vitally important to know. It could be a sign of root canal treatment or a dental emergency such as tooth extraction treatment. In severe cases, an aggressive impact could result in your tooth being spilt into two. If that’s the case, the dentist will seek to remove the tooth immediately through tooth extraction treatment. Root canal treatment is only considered if the crack hasn’t impacted the underlying tooth nerves, and there are healthy remains of the tooth still available.
If An Appointment Isn’t Immediately Available…
If you’ve cracked a tooth but an emergency appointment isn’t immediately available, follow some immediate steps for temporary relief of pain in the mouth during the day and night before an appointment becomes available:
- Change Your Diet – Avoid eating food and drink that are very hot or very cold. The dentin layer of the tooth underneath the enamel will have been exposed by the crack, leading to severe pain. Also, avoid any acidic or sugary foods.
- Take Pain Relief Medication – Medication such as Ibuprofen or Acetaminophen are acceptable and available to take but avoid taking aspirin. This could cause further limitations for further dental treatment, such as when you require a root canal.
- Carefully Floss Around The Tooth – Ensure the affected tooth is clear of food particles to avoid bacteria build-up. Floss gently around the tooth gaps and avoid going too deep into the root.
- Sleep In An Elevated Position – When the nerve becomes inflamed, it can become very painful. Elevate your head on the pillow about 20 to 30 degrees backwards. This helps to ease some of the pain when your tooth hurts
- Avoid Biting On Anything Hard – You must take care of how you bite down on food. Avoid eating nuts and hard candies and begin to eat softer foods such as vegetables and boiled potato. Do not use your mouth for any bad habits such as biting on ice, a pencil or using your teeth to open any packaging.
The points above are some immediate remedies for pain-relief that will make sure you can continue on with your day with reduced pain. However, it is important to note that these remedies are temporary. These remedies do not mean the pain will go away. These are helpful short-term remedies to consider whilst waiting for an emergency appointment.
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