How to Fix Broken Teeth

Breaking a tooth can be a traumatic experience. Not only can it be painful, but a partially missing tooth can affect your speech, chewing habits and appearance. If you break a tooth, it's important to see a dentist right away to determine whether the nerve is in danger. But some quick thought and action before you get there can help you feel better and make the dentist's job a little easier. The American Dental Association and the toothpaste maker Colgate recommend the following steps toward repairing a broken tooth before you get to the dentist. You may need help from a family member or friend.

Things You'll Need

• Pieces of the broken tooth
• Small, sealing storage bag
• Warm water
• Gauze
• Cold compress
• Dental cement (available in pharmacies)
• Pain reliever

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Instructions

• 1

  Save the pieces of the broken tooth in a sealing storage bag. If the break was fairly clean, your dentist may be able to put the tooth back together temporarily. Then, depending on the severity of the break, the dentist will repair the damage with a filling or crown. Minor chips may simply require sanding and smoothing.

• 2

  Rinse your mouth with warm water. If you saved the tooth fragments, carefully rinse them under running water.

• 3

  Apply gauze to any bleeding areas for a few minutes, until the bleeding stops.

• 4

  Apply a cold compress to the affected area to reduce swelling and relieve pain. Some people don't experience pain when a tooth breaks.

• 5

  Cover the surface of the portion of the tooth that remains in your mouth with temporary dental cement if you can't get to the dentist immediately.

• 6

  Swallow an over-the-counter pain reliever if you are in pain.