Did You Wake Up With A Broken Tooth? 3 Tips To Get It Fixed When A Damaged Smile Is Your Worst Nightmare

When your smile is your favorite feature, waking up with a broken tooth feels like your worst nightmare coming true. While you may think that tooth injuries can only happen when you are awake, the truth is that many people have nighttime habits that interfere with their oral health. Typically, a broken tooth that occurs in your sleep happens from clenching or grinding behaviors that place a large amount of pressure on your jaw. While you can't go back and change what happened, you can use these tips to get it fixed right away.

Protect Your Cheeks and Tongue

Once you've realized that you have a broken tooth, your first step is to minimize any further damage to your mouth. Broken teeth often have jagged edges that can cut the soft tissues of your mouth. For this reason, you may want to put a small piece of dental wax over any sharp edges to keep you comfortable until you get to the emergency dentist.

Avoid Irritating the Tooth Root

Depending upon the severity of the break, you may not have much pain. While this does help you to feel more comfortable, you also need to make sure that you still treat the tooth gently to prevent irritating the nerves and pulp that support the tooth. Try to avoid eating anything extremely hot or cold since this could irritate an exposed nerve. You may also need to avoid eating anything that is too crunchy or chewy on that side of your mouth until the tooth is repaired. Avoiding further trauma to the tooth root gives you a better outcome for healing after it is treated.

Find Out How to Prevent Another Tooth Fracture

When you visit an emergency dentist in your city, they'll give you your options for treatment. While some broken teeth can be built up using dental bonding materials, others may require a crown or a full replacement. Once you've selected the best treatment for your needs, you also want to ask your dentist if there is a way to prevent this from happening again. For instance, you may need to wear a nighttime mouthguard to protect your teeth if you show signs of damage from grinding.

Waking up to a broken tooth is never a good way to start your day. However, knowing how to protect your mouth from further damage as you seek dental treatment will allow you to quickly enjoy your smile again.