A dental emergency can be a frightening or unsettling experience, but the best course of action is to remain calm and address the situation. Although it is important to seek emergency dental care near Marietta as soon as you can, you should be aware of the steps to take in the meantime. The way you should care for a broken tooth differs from the way you should care for a cracked tooth. Keep reading if you are interested in learning how to handle your dental emergency and care for a broken tooth.

Broken Tooth
Anyone can experience a broken tooth. You might slip on a wet surface and fall down, receive a heavy tackle or body check while playing a contact sport, or simply bite down on a hard piece of food. Regardless of how your tooth came to be broken, it is important that you see your dentist as soon as you can; your dentist can decide whether or not the break is threatening to your tooth’s nerve. Give your mouth a warm-water rinse as soon as your tooth breaks, and use a piece of gauze to stop any bleeding that may occur. Use an ice pack to keep the swelling down, and take an over the counter medication for the pain.

Cracked Tooth
While there are steps you can take to alleviate the symptoms of a broken tooth , a cracked tooth can make for a more severe dental emergency. This is tricky because you might not realize that your tooth is cracked. If you are suspicious that you have one or more cracked teeth, consider your sensitivity to temperature. If consuming hot or cold foods and drinks seems to hurt, or if it hurts when you release your bite, you may have a cracked tooth. See your dentist immediately.

Dental Treatments
Your dentist can use a range of treatments to address your broken or cracked teeth. This may include filling materials for minor breaks, root canals for more severe breaks, and a combination of the two for significantly cracked teeth. Always see your dentist as soon as possible after a dental emergency.