Teeth are impressively strong for being so small. However, their durability is not all-lasting, and teeth are still susceptible to damage because they can still chip, crack, and break in many ways. For instance, biting something hard, trauma to the mouth area, falling down, and even by not wearing a mouthpiece while playing some sports can cause teeth to become damaged. Additionally, unhealthy teeth can make the teeth weaker and easier to break.
Fortunately, most cracks, chips, and breaks will not hurt the person. However, when a large part of the tooth breaks off, the nerve or root can be exposed and that will hurt. When the nerve or root are exposed, anything from air to hot or cold foods or drinks may cause a significant amount of discomfort. Besides the pain, the sharp edge of the broken or chipped tooth can be felt with the tongue, which can cause minimal irritation to the tongue.
Having a cracked tooth can cause pain in some instances, and, the worst part, there are no home remedies that will take away the pain permanently. You need to see a dentist. A cracked tooth can be a little sneaky because even though a person can’t see the crack or pin-point which tooth it is, the pain can certainly be felt. The most noticeable pain will typically occur when a person is eating or drinking. If you believe that you have a cracked tooth, try to keep track of how long the pain exists because if it becomes constant, the crack may have damaged the nerve or blood vessels in the tooth. If that happens, that’s really bad, and a dental appointment is absolutely necessary.
With a chipped or broken tooth, it is important to schedule an appointment with your dentist as soon as possible to check if the tooth nerve is damaged also. Most breaks do not hurt, but they will become very noticeable if the nerve is exposed or damaged. If the nerve is damaged or exposed, root canal therapy may be required, depending on your situation. The first thing to do if you chipped a tooth is to rinse your mouth with warm water. If there’s bleeding, use gauze or cotton balls to apply pressure to the wound for approximately 10 minutes to stop the bleeding. Again, once it happens, schedule an appointment to see your dentist.
If you are suffering from a chipped or cracked tooth, whether you have pain or not, we might be able to help you find a repair solution. Call Foothill Dental Care in Livermore at (925) 961-5484 to schedule an appointment today, so they can fix your smile and relieve your pain.