Once you’ve recovered from the initial shock of chipping your tooth you’ll want to know what you can do about it. The most important thing to do is get it seen to by a professional. If you leave it, you risk infection, making it worse or even losing your tooth. Here’s what to do in the meantime if you have a chipped tooth.
Assess the Situation
Go to the hospital if your chipped tooth is due to a head or facial injury. If you display symptoms including; bleeding from the nose or ears, memory loss or lose consciousness, feel dizzy or disorientated, an unmanageable head or ear ache or jaw misalignment you need to treat this as an emergency and attend the hospital. If not, you can treat your chipped tooth at home until you can get an appointment with your dentist.
Seek Pain Relief
If the tooth is hurting, it’s best to seek pain relief to provide comfort. Apply a cold compress to reduce swelling and ease pain. There are also many over the counter options. Check with your pharmacist first if you have any concerns with taking with other medications simultaneously.
Stop the Bleeding
There may or may not be bleeding along with the damage to your tooth. Use tissue or gauze to apply pressure to the bleeding area until the bleeding stops. If the bleeding persists try and constrict it with a tea bag.
Keep It Clean
You should keep your mouth clean to prevent infection. Brush your teeth and tongue. Take extra care of the chipped tooth. Rinsing your mouth with salt water further reduces your risk of infection.
Prevent Further Damage by the Tooth
If the tooth has a sharp or jagged edge that could cut your tongue or mouth make sure you cover it. Chewing gum or wax paraffin are great possibilities that you may have with you at the time of chipping. If you don’t have anything available you should be able to purchase dental cement at your local chemist.
Don’t Aggravate It with Particular Foods
If you must eat try soft food such as jelly or yoghurt. Try not to bite down with the damaged tooth. It’s also important to avoid sugar when you have chipped your tooth.
Seek Professional Treatment
It’s essential that you see your dentist regarding the damaged tooth. There are several options your dentist can offer. These include dental bonding, veneers, crowns, root canal or dental implant. The extent of damage to the tooth will determine which type your dentist uses. If it’s just a small chip your dentist may be able to polish and smooth out the damage.
If you have a chipped tooth it’s crucial that you have it looked at by a dentist. In the meantime you should seek pain relief and ensure it’s kept clean. You should also prevent it from cutting your tongue or cheek and stick to soft foods. This will prevent further damage to the tooth and infection. In some cases it may even save the tooth.
