If a piece of your tooth broke off completely, try to save the broken piece of tooth in saliva or a dish of milk and get to your dentist as soon as you can; they may be able to bond it back to the tooth. If half your tooth broke off and it’s still attached, try to avoid doing any additional damage en route to the dentist. Avoid eating entirely if at all possible, even if the tooth does break off completely. If you must eat or drink, eat very soft, mild foods and soothing drinks at moderate temperatures, avoiding anything too hot or cold. If the area is bleeding, biting down on gauze can help mitigate this, and pain can be effectively managed with over-the-counter pain medications. If your tooth has broken in half and it doesn’t hurt, this doesn’t mean you can skip seeing the dentist – a tooth breaking in half is never a good thing, no matter how or why it happens.
There are a few different reasons that a person’s tooth could break in half, but the most common reasons are injury and tooth decay. Clearly, if you sustain a blow to your face and are injured, it shouldn’t surprise you if your tooth is broken. Tooth decay can work a bit more slowly, though, and the most typical cause of broken teeth is tooth decay. If you have an untreated cavity, you’re much more likely to sustain a dental emergency because a chunk of your tooth breaks off. Thankfully, your dentist and dental hygienist check for tooth decay at each dental exam and place fillings as soon as possible when they’re needed, underscoring the importance of regular visits to the dentist for an exam and a cleaning.
While it may not feel quite like an injury, breaking a tooth on a piece of ice or a popcorn kernel is common, and, if you think about it, you’re injuring your tooth. Impacts like these can cause a tooth to break in half, especially if the tooth is already weakened for another reason. Trying to use your teeth as tools – something to open a box or a bottle – or chewing on pens or other non-food items can also lead to broken teeth and should be avoided. Chronic habits, like bruxism, can also weaken the teeth to an extent that the teeth are much easier to break; if you chronically grind your teeth and clench your jaw in your sleep, ask your dentist about a night guard that you can wear to protect your teeth and soothe the tension in your jaw.
If, despite your best efforts, one of your teeth does happen to break or if it’s otherwise significantly damaged, there are treatment options available. Some of the more common solutions for broken teeth are dental crowns, bonding, fillings, and other cosmetic dental procedures. When a severely broken tooth remains untreated for too long, it is more prone to infection, which may mean that a root canal will precede whatever restorative dental treatment you might undergo. If a tooth is too damaged to realistically repair, the dentist may have no choice but to extract the tooth and will discuss this with you, along with reviewing your options for replacing the tooth, before any extraction procedures are completed. Ultimately, if half your tooth breaks off, the first thing you should do is get yourself to the dentist. A broken tooth isn’t always an emergency, though it usually is, and no matter what, it requires attention from a dentist. Prompt attention and treatment could make a huge difference in your outcome, your oral health, and your smile.