If a tooth is broken, this could mean more severe damage than a minor chip, which means you need treatment. With emergency dental care, we can take on your damaged tooth quickly and effectively. In today’s blog, your Prairie Village, KS, dentist talks about how we treat a broken tooth with emergency dentistry.
The Causes of a Broken Tooth
How does a tooth become broken? The outer enamel coating them is the hardest substance in the human body, and helps protect teeth from injury. But they can still become damaged. Obviously, an injury on the field or court when playing sports could be a cause. But you could also bite down on a hard piece of food, which could damage teeth. This could include chewing on ice in some cases! Factors like tooth decay could weaken a tooth. When you damage a tooth, even if the injury appears minor, you should consider seeing our team. Even minor chips or possible fractures you cannot see with the naked eye could leave teeth vulnerable to tooth decay and infection, and we want to help you avoid these painful complications.
Starting Your Emergency Visit
You should see if you can recover any pieces of your tooth and if so, bring them with you today to the office. If this isn’t possible, then don’t worry, we can still repair your tooth. Stem the bleeding with cloth or gauze, and then use a cold compress to the side of the face to control swelling. You can also take an over-the-counter pain reliever to ease your discomfort. Call our office right away. If you reach us during our normal operating hours, we will try to see you same-day. If we are closed, then leave a message and a team member will reach out shortly to discuss possible appointment times.
How We Repair Damaged Teeth
Our team will carefully examine your tooth with advanced imaging to gain a detailed picture of your tooth and assess the full extent of your injury. We can then plan treatment. For minor chips, we could often repair the tooth in one visit with dental bonding. If you have a fracture or more severe breakage, then we could instead place a custom and lifelike dental crown. To help lower the risk of damaged teeth, avoid chewing on ice and wear a mouthguard when you play sports. If you have any questions about dental emergency treatment and how we address a damaged tooth, then contact our team today to learn more and get started.
Call Our Team to Treat Your Chipped Tooth
With emergency dental care, we can treat minor and severe damage to a tooth. Contact Robert M. Browne DDS in Prairie Village, KS by calling (913) 901-8585 for our earliest appointment time. We proudly serve patients in surrounding communities and welcome your call.