Having a broken or knocked-out tooth are two separate injuries. The injuries can vary in their severity, and the treatment will depend on the damage.

• Broken Tooth: When you have a broken tooth, your tooth’s structure is still intact, but part of the tooth is chipped, cracked, or fractured.

• Knocked-Out Tooth: When your tooth has been completely knocked out from its socket, then you have what is known as an avulsed tooth. If you still have the tooth, you will need emergency dental service as a dentist may be able to re-implant it.

There are a variety of ways you may end up getting your tooth knocked out or suffering a broken tooth.

• Accidents: If you fall and happen to land on your face, you may break your tooth. You may even knock your tooth out, though this isn’t as common. Some ways broken teeth can occur are through skateboarding or bicycle accidents. You may also break one of your teeth in a car accident.

• Injuries From Sports: Contact sports, such as football and hockey, can result in broken or avulsed teeth. A blow to the face – while boxing – can also result in a knocked-out tooth. Another way to suffer a broken or avulsed tooth is if you get hit by a baseball or basketball. Dentists often recommend mouthguards when playing contact sports to reduce the risk of dental injuries.

• Biting and Chewing Hard Objects: Sometimes, simply biting a hard object can break your teeth. Hard foods include candy and popcorn kernels. Some people can also suffer a broken tooth when chewing on ice or the tips of their pens. Other times, you may accidentally bite down on a hard object, such as the pit of a peach or cherry. This unexpected force can break your tooth.

• Weak Tooth: If you already have a weak tooth, it may easily break if you chew on something hard. In fact, if your tooth is weak, it may break at any moment, even when you’re not chewing.

• Old Age: With age, teeth tend to become more brittle. This often goes hand in hand with osteoporosis. If your teeth are brittle, they could break if you chomp down on something hard.

When you make an appointment with an emergency dentist, the first step will be to inspect the extent of the damage. You may need to take X-rays to see if the surrounding bone is affected. Once the dentist cleans and prepares your tooth, there are two restorative options.

One is dental bonding. Dental bonding or tooth bonding is when the dentist applies a resin material to the surface of your tooth to fill in any gaps or chipped sections. The resin is tooth-colored, so it matches the color of your other teeth. The resin is then hardened.

The second option is a dental crown. You may need this if the damage to your tooth is more extensive. The dentist will remove more of the damaged tooth and then place a crown over the remainder of the tooth. The crown acts as a protective cover – almost like a hat – supporting and protecting your damaged tooth.

If you have a knocked-out tooth, try to save the tooth. Pick the tooth up by the crown and not by the root. Rinse both your tooth and your mouth with warm water. If you can, place the knocked-out tooth back in its socket and make an appointment with an emergency dentist immediately as time is of the essence. If you can’t replace the tooth, store it in salt water or milk.

Sometimes, it’s possible for a dentist to save your tooth. The tooth can be replaced or re-implanted into its socket and then stabilized with a splint. The splint allows the damaged bone to heal. After about six weeks, you will need to make a follow-up appointment so the dentist can remove the splint.

If you were unable to save your knocked-out tooth or it cannot be re-implanted, you may need to make an appointment for a dental implant. If you have more than one knocked-out tooth, getting dentures is your best option.

When you need a dental emergency service for your broken or avulsed tooth, Ranieu Family Dental in Vancouver WA can help. Besides general dentistry and cosmetic dentistry, we offer a variety of emergency dentistry services. Make an appointment with our emergency dentist today if you need immediate attention.