Basic Care and First Aid Considerations When Taking Care of a Fractured Tooth

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Each and every one of the teeth in your mouth has been designed by the ancient forces of evolution to be hard enough to bite off, chew and grind the hardest of foods. As hard as your teeth are, there are still some things they cannot withstand. A hard blow to the mouth from a sports accident or a hard fall can actually hit with such force that it can actually fracture a tooth. This is even more likely if you grind your teeth at night on a regular basis.

In some cases, the fracture might be limited to the tooth enamel, resulting in little to no pain. Even still, the fractured area will soon come to harbor an area of tooth decay. In a case like this, Dr. Anderson Lane might be able to repair it with an ordinary filling. A serious fracture might require having all the tooth enamel restored by a crown.

If the fracture was a result of a hard fall or blow to the face and you have blood or debris in your mouth, you can rinse your mouth with lukewarm water. This should clear your mouth and also serve to soothe any injured soft tissues.

If pain persists or you experience excess sensitivity in the tooth, it likely means that the fracture has damaged the internal structures of the tooth. This likely means Dr. Anderson Lane will need to perform a root canal to restore the damaged structures. If the damage is severe, it might need to be extracted and restored in the future with a bridge or a dental implant.

If you have fractured tooth, you should call Dr. Anderson Lane’s office in Austin, Texas at 512.459.4347 to schedule an appointment.