Your teeth are strong and can usually do quite a bit of work! However, what happens when you bite down the wrong way and crack a tooth? Chipping a tooth is actually quite a common occurrence, but you may be wondering if you always need to go to the dentist when this happens. No worries, your premier Waconia dentist is here with the answers!

When the Tooth Chips

You may not feel any pain if your tooth chips or breaks, but you can often feel a sharp piece of your tooth with your tongue. If it’s a major chip, you will likely feel immediate pain. You will also feel intense pain if the nerve endings are exposed to the air, hot foods and drinks, or cold foods and drinks.

What to Do

If the tooth is cracked, but your pain level is low or comes and goes, schedule an appointment with us! If the tooth is broken and painful, come in for emergency treatment. Until you get to the dentist’s office:

• Rinse your mouth with warm water.
• Use a tea bag or gauze to stop any bleeding you may experience.
• Apply an ice pack on the outside of the mouth over where the broken tooth is to help reduce swelling.
• Pick up some temporary dental cement at the drugstore and apply it over the damaged tooth.
• Take some over-the-counter pain medication to ease the pain.

Come See Us

Once you come see us, we will determine how bad the damage is and what we need to do to repair your tooth. When you are in need of a Waconia dentist, come see us at Kruckman Family Dentistry!