illustration of a young soccer player with a chipped tooth after getting hit with a soccer ball

What to Do for a Chipped, Cracked, or Broken Tooth

May 28, 2022 10:08 pm

While there’s never a good time to break a tooth, knowing what to do in advance can help you handle the situation with more confidence and ease. No matter how your tooth get damaged, following these steps can help you get the relief and emergency dental care you need.

  1. Stay Calm
  2. If you chip, crack, or otherwise break a tooth, don’t panic! Our team at Lynn Lane Family Dentistry is experienced at treating damaged teeth. By taking the right steps, it is often possible to restore the health of your tooth.

  3. Rinse Your Mouth
  4. When your tooth experiences trauma, gently rinse your mouth with warm water. If you can find any parts of your tooth, carefully wrap it in wet gauze to bring with you to our office.

  5. Ease Bleeding & Swelling
  6. If your mouth is bleeding, apply gentle pressure with a clean gauze. A cold compress can help reduce swelling and pain. Over-the-counter pain relievers can also ease discomfort.

  7. Call Our Office
  8. Call our office to tell us about your emergency situation. Our team can schedule a same-day emergency appointment to treat your issue. We’ll walk you through the next steps and how you can protect yourself in the meantime. For example, sometimes a broken tooth results in a sharp, jagged edge that can cut your mouth or tongue. Keeping dental wax on hand can be helpful to cover this edge.

Knocked-Out Adult Tooth

If your permanent tooth gets knocked out, this is even more urgent. Be sure to handle your tooth only by its chewing surface, called the crown. Rinse any debris off your tooth with milk or water but do not wipe it with a cloth or towel. If you can’t put the tooth back in its socket, keep it moist in milk or between your cheek and gums while you travel quickly (and safely) to our office.

Contact Lynn Lane Family Dentistry for additional help preparing for a dental emergency or to schedule a same-day emergency appointment!

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Broken tooth image from Authority Dental under CC 2.0



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