Broken teeth are never fun. This dental issue is more than just about aesthetics. In fact, broken and chipped teeth can be quite painful, and the breakage usually occurs when we least expect it.

A broken tooth doesn’t always happen while chewing nuts, ice, or hard candy can lead to a fractured tooth; damage can also come from eating something relatively soft like a sandwich. Often, the tooth already had micro-cracks, and the break was just the final tipping point.

Does Your Tooth Hurt? Fast, Natural Pain Relief at Home

If your broken tooth causes terrible pain, some natural remedies can give you relief. Over-the-counter pain medication can be highly effective. There are also solutions in the spice section of the grocery store or your kitchen cabinet that may work.

Ginger and Cayenne

Ginger and cayenne contain natural ingredients that block pain signals to the brain. Mix them into a paste and absorb them into a cotton ball. Place the cotton ball on your tooth, avoiding your tongue and gums. Ginger and cayenne make a spicy concoction, so only apply it for as long as you can.

Sea Salt

Dissolve about a teaspoon of sea salt in warm water. Swish in your mouth for about 30 seconds and spit out. This mixture is an effective antiseptic, cleansing the tooth and drawing out some fluid that causes the swelling.

You might consider doing this rinse routinely for oral health because it helps kill the bacteria that cause cavities. However, don’t swish more than 3 or 4 times a week because too much can wear down your enamel.

Herbal Tea

Peppermint tea has numbing properties and can soothe and relax you. Also, black tea can reduce swelling because of its astringent tannins.

Hydrogen Peroxide

Many mouthwashes contain hydrogen peroxide because of its antibacterial properties. Rinsing with 3% hydrogen peroxide can help relieve toothache and kill infection. After spitting it out, make sure you rinse your mouth afterward with cold water.

While some home remedies may work and control your pain for a while, they don’t address the underlying problem. Instead, they can provide temporary pain relief while you’re waiting to see your emergency dentist. Most often, a cracked tooth will need dental attention.

Does a Cracked Tooth Need to Be Pulled?

Not all cracked teeth need extraction. Sometimes, patients just need a chipped tooth repaired with a simple dental bonding. It depends on the severity of the damage, which your dentist can determine.

However, if the tooth breaks or cracks at the gum line, it will likely need to be pulled. Doing so is necessary to preserve the health of your jaw and the nerve in the tooth.

When you notice a crack or break, you should call your family dentist as soon as possible. At Beckham Square Family Dental, we keep several appointments open daily for these kinds of emergencies. We can usually schedule you within a couple of days of the injury, even if we’ve never seen you before.

Your dentist will do everything possible to save the tooth, usually by fixing it with a filling, crown, or bonding treatment. In some cases, however, the damage to the tooth is too serious, and removing it is the only way to preserve your jawline and oral health.

Loose teeth will also need to be extracted. Because your teeth help hold your jawbones in place, leaving a loose tooth in makes your other teeth susceptible to movement, damaging your bite.

What Happens During a Tooth Extraction?

Your dentist will take an X-ray of your cracked tooth to determine if extraction is necessary. The X-ray will show the tooth’s relationship to your other teeth, particularly how your upper teeth are connected to your sinuses and how the lower teeth are associated with the lower jaw and lip.

During a broken tooth extraction, you will be given local anesthesia to numb the area. Once numbing has taken effect, the dentist may use an instrument to loosen the tooth before removing it. When it’s ready to come out, your dentist will place small forceps around the tooth and extract it.

Don’t Eat, Drink, or Smoke Before the Procedure

Once you’ve scheduled your tooth extraction, your dentist will likely ask you not to eat or drink anything six or eight hours before the procedure. You don’t want to introduce any bacteria to your mouth beforehand.

Also, avoid smoking on the day of the surgery. Smoking cigarettes can slow the body’s healing, interfering with your recovery from surgery.

Smoking can also contribute to dry socket, where the extracted tooth will leave a hole. This condition can be very painful and can pull a blood clot from the socket, the body’s natural attempt to protect the bones and nerves. Sometimes, this blood clot can dissolve or become dislodged, exposing the nerve and resulting in extreme pain or infection lasting 5 to 6 days.

Call Your Dentist if You’re Sick Before Extraction

Call your dentist if you have a cough, stuffy nose, nausea, vomiting, or a cold within one week before surgery. They may want to postpone the treatment. While it may not seem like a big deal, it’s better to wait until you’re well to extract your broken tooth.

Being sick can interfere with proper healing from any dental procedure. That’s because your upper teeth, sinuses, lower teeth, jaw, tongue, and other parts of your mouth are interconnected. Also, nausea and vomiting leave an unhealed area vulnerable to stomach acids.

Options for Tooth Replacement

Once your broken tooth is extracted, you’ll need to plan to replace it. Leaving a tooth gap can lead to problems with your surrounding teeth, causing them to shift or even fall out. The longer you go without replacing your tooth, the harder it’ll be to insert a replacement, like a dental implant. Missing teeth will also cause your jaw to disintegrate. If you’ve lost too much of your jawbone, you may need dental bone grafting before receiving an implant crown.

A dental implant is usually your best option for replacing a missing tooth. A dental implant looks and functions like your natural tooth and can last a long time. Unfortunately, a dental implant can be expensive, costing $1,000 to $3,000 per tooth, depending on whether you need a bone graft.

An implant-supported bridge is another option and ideal if you’re missing multiple teeth in a row. For proper fitting, the dentist typically implants teeth at either end of the bridge to support the middle teeth. This method is less expensive than using a dental implant for each tooth.

A tooth-supported bridge uses your natural teeth, rather than two implants, to support the bridge. This is a more affordable option when dental implants aren’t necessary.

Finally, removable partial dentures are the most cost-effective option. These work like full dentures but only replace one or a few missing teeth. If you’re considering a tooth replacement, ask your dentist which option best suits your oral health needs.

Do You Need an Emergency Dentist in Cincinnati?

Dr. Schmerler and Dr. Hynes at Beckham Square Family Dental offer comprehensive, gentle family dentistry. They strive to help you feel as relaxed and comfortable as possible. Their team also uses the latest advancements, technologies, and innovations to optimize dental health.

If you need emergency dental care in the Cincinnati area, call us at Beckham Square Family Dental. Give us a call at 513.489.7800 or fill out our online form. We’ll get you scheduled within a few days, even if you’ve never been here before. By the way, we’re currently accepting new patients!