How can you fix a chipped tooth at home

A human tooth is made up of hard enamel and is generally a strong figure; however, it can break because of a simple impact. Dealing with a cracked or chipped tooth is a nuisance; living in constant agony reduces the quality of life. In such cases, scheduling an appointment with your dentist is the most sensible thing to do. But, if you can’t get one immediately, go through with this blog to know how to fix a cracked tooth naturally for temporary pain relief.

What Causes Broken/Cracked or Chipped Tooth

A tooth may have fractures or crack up because of multiple reasons. The condition is called cracked tooth syndrome, and it is either small or harmless and may leave a vertical crack in the tooth.
A chipped/broken, or fractured tooth is common amongst children and the elderly. Here’s why a person may suffer from this issue:

  • Age factor plays a huge role. As a person advances in life, their teeth become weak because constant wear and tear increasing their damage susceptibility.
  • The pressure exerted because of teeth grinding – also known as bruxism.
  • Inappropriate fillings or large fillings which shake the integrity of the tooth.
  • Biting or chewing hard food like ice, candies, or nuts.
  • Impact due to trauma such as car accidents, sports injuries, falls, etc.
  • A tooth also gets cracked if an individual consumes peak hot and cold temperature edibles simultaneously; avoid doing so, and naturally, the problem will fix and not worsen.

How to Fix a Cracked or Chipped Tooth Naturally?

Fixing a cracked tooth at home is not wise; it is a sensitive matter best if left on the dentists for taking care of it. However, here are a few home remedies for broken tooth pain relief:

  1. Place an ice pack on the cheek for pain and inflammation reduction.
  2. Remove plaque and any sticky food particles left behind by flossing around the cracked tooth to fix pain naturally. Do not poke it unnecessarily.
  3. If you have a cracked tooth, bite a gauze over that surface for preventing pain because of over-grinding.
  4. Sleeping while keeping the head elevated is another way for pressure and pain relief.
  5. Warm salt-water rinse. Rinse mouth using this solution greatly helps in bacterial removal from the affected site.
  6. If your tooth is cracked/chipped or broken from a side, take painkillers like paracetamol for pain relief.
  7. Avoid eating from that side and consume soft foods having neutral temperature.
  8. Clove oil is known to reduce and fix pain naturally caused because of a cracked or tooth.
  9. If you want to fix a small chip or crack in the tooth, you can easily use a dental wax on its edge. It prevents any sharp edge from damaging the mouth and its soft tissues. This remedy is not suitable for a big broken tooth.

What Not To Do With a Broken Tooth at Home

  • Try filing down the edges for smoothening them using a nail filer or sandpaper.
  • Pull the broken tooth out yourself.

Dental Treatments Used For Cracked Tooth Repair

Cracked or broken tooth repair depends on a few parameters, which are:

  • Crack size
  • Location
  • Symptoms and their severity
  • Extension of the crack

After analysis, your dentist will choose one of the following treatments:

  1. Dental Bonding
  2. Crown placement
  3. Root canal
  4. Extraction

Take Out

Fixing a cracked tooth naturally at home can be a mistake, and it is best to take help from a dentist. They are well versed with complications and equipped with technologies to deal with every kind of issue that might arise during or after treatment. In case of an emergency or scheduling an appointment, contact Almond Dental now at St. Anthony location 612 782 7000 or Maple Grove 763 762 7177.

How can you fix a chipped tooth at home

  • What to Do for a Chipped Tooth
  • 5 Ways to Fix a Chipped Tooth at Home
    • How Do Dentists Fix a Chipped Tooth?
          • How Much Does it Cost to Fix a Chipped Tooth?

Although tooth enamel is the hardest tissue in the entire body, it isn’t indestructible. It’s quite common for people to experience chipped or cracked teeth after biting down on a chunk of ice, an almond or some other hard piece of food. When this occurs, it’s important to know how to manage the chipped tooth to preserve your tooth and avoid serious pain or infections.

What to Do for a Chipped Tooth

If you suffer a chipped, broken or fractured tooth, it’s important to visit your local dentist as soon as possible. If you wait, the tooth could become even more damaged. What’s worse, it could become infected, resulting in serious health risks and possible tooth loss.

Until you are able to see a dentist, you can try the following self-care measures:

  1. Blunt the pain by taking acetaminophen, ibuprofen or another type of over-the-counter pain reliever.
  2. Rinse your mouth with salt water to reduce the risk of infection.
  3. If the damage has caused a jagged or sharp edge, cover it with a piece of sugarless chewing gum or wax paraffin to protect your tongue and cheek.
  4. If you must eat, select softer foods and do not bite down on the damaged tooth.
  5. Treat the tooth with Dentemp, a product available at most drugstores and pharmacies designed to temporarily treat chipped teeth until you can see a dentist. 

How Do Dentists Fix a Chipped Tooth?

Treatment for a chipped or broken tooth will depend on the severity of the damage. If only a small portion of enamel has broken off, a dentist will likely be able to repair the tooth in a single office visit. However, a badly broken or damaged tooth may require a costlier procedure, which could take more than one office visit. Here are some things your dentist may recommend to repair your chipped or broken tooth.

  • Filling or Bonding: If you’ve chipped away a small piece of enamel, your dentist may be able to repair the damage by applying a filling. If the damage occurred to a front tooth, the dentist may repair the damage by applying a tooth-colored composite resin. Called bonding, this relatively simple procedure usually requires no numbing agent. The dentist starts by etching the surface of the tooth with a special gel or liquid. Next, he or she will apply an adhesive substance, followed by the resin. After shaping the resin to make it match your natural tooth, the dentist will harden the material using an ultraviolet light.
  • Dental Veneers: If a front tooth is chipped or broken, your dentist can make it look healthy and flawless by applying a dental veneer. A thin shell of tooth-colored resin composite material or porcelain, veneers are specially created and customized in a lab to match your specific needs. They are then applied over the surface of your existing tooth using special cement.
  • Dental Cap or Crown: If you have lost a substantial portion of your tooth, your dentist may file away part of the remaining tooth and cap it with a crown, designed to protect the tooth, preserve function and improve aesthetic appearance. If the damage is severe enough to expose the pulp within the tooth, you may develop pulp damage or infection. When this occurs, your dentist may have to remove the dead or dying pulp through root canal therapy. Afterward, the dentist will cap the tooth with a crown.

Remember, do not wait to handle your chipped tooth. Contact your dentist to schedule an appointment.

How Much Does it Cost to Fix a Chipped Tooth?

The cost of repairing a chipped tooth can range substantially, based on the severity of the issue, the affected tooth and the required treatment. Patients can expect to pay a few hundred dollars for a small chip that requires dental bonding or a few thousand for a severe chip that needs root canal therapy and a crown.

Below are estimated costs for fixing a chipped tooth with no dental insurance.

  • Fillings: About $100 to $500
  • Crowns: From $250 to $2,000 based on the tooth and type of crown
  • Root canal: From $500 to $1,000 based on the severity of damage and location of tooth
  • Veneers: Can cost between $925 and $2,500 per tooth 

Dental insurance can help offset some or all of these expenses. Talk to your dentist and insurance provider for more information.

Remember, do not wait to handle your chipped tooth. Contact your dentist to schedule an appointment.

Can I fix a chipped tooth myself?

You absolutely need to see a professional dentist to have your chipped tooth repaired. There are several things you should avoid attempting yourself at home. All of these can cause serious damage to your teeth and mouth if you attempt them yourself. Do not attempt to file the jagged edge of a chipped tooth.

How can you fix a chipped tooth?

Dental Filling or Bonding If you have chipped off just a small piece of tooth enamel, your dentist may repair the damage with a filling. If the repair is to a front tooth or can be seen when you smile, your dentist will likely use a procedure called bonding, which uses a tooth-colored composite resin.

What should I do if I chipped my front tooth?

If your tooth is chipped, use warm water to flush the inside of your mouth. Then, apply a cold compress to the lip or cheek area around the tooth for 10 minutes. This will ease the pain and reduce swelling. You can also take an anti-inflammatory or over-the-counter pain reliever.