Can a broken tooth repair itself?

Tips on how to broken tooth repair. Learn what causes teeth to break, the best way to prevent them from breaking, and how to repair them in an emergency situation when you chip or break your tooth before you make it to the dentist’s office. Broken teeth are painful and can cost hundreds or even thousands of dollars if they aren’t taken care of immediately! Fortunately, there are some methods you can use at home to temporarily repair the tooth until you see your dentist. But first, let’s talk about why this happens and how you can prevent it!

Finding the tooth chip

First, locate where your tooth is chipped. If it’s chipped down to an exposed nerve (about as painful as it sounds), you’ll need to seek medical attention. Otherwise, you can move on with home repair. Depending on how serious of a chip you have, there are several ways of dealing with it. In most cases, if your tooth is just chipped or slightly damaged in some way, using dental bonding will fix it.

Dental bonding is basically a resin that hardens and fills any chips that haven’t reached nerves or gums. At home, you can use denture adhesive—which works similarly to dental bonding but isn’t as strong—as an at-home alternative. A small filling will also work for more minor repairs; your dentist will use something called resin composite resin which basically cures over time into a hardened material that fills whatever hole(s) you might have.

Once you’ve located where your tooth is chipped and/or broken, take care of it right away: It doesn’t matter how minor it seems now, waiting too long before repairing it could result in irreversible damage (and serious pain). The longer you wait, the weaker your tooth becomes until even brushing may cause permanent damage if not treated. Take care of yourself by finding a way to fix those chips as soon as possible!

Brushing with baking soda

Baking soda is known as a great abrasive, and when mixed with water it can make for an effective at-home tooth whitener. But it’s also incredibly useful for removing stains from your teeth caused by coffee or tea. Simply mix some baking soda into your regular toothpaste (try brushing with half baking soda, half toothpaste) before you brush your teeth as usual. Just be sure not to leave it on your teeth too long—it could damage them if used too much! Make sure to rinse thoroughly after use and avoid eating acidic foods like oranges and tomatoes afterwards; these will temporarily lighten your stain.

If you want even whiter teeth, try mixing 2–3 tsp of lemon juice into a cup of baking soda; then using that mixture as normal. This combination should last up to 2 weeks between uses, so store it in an airtight container. This method should only be used once every couple months though because lemons are highly acidic and excess acidity in your mouth could cause damage over time.

Adding salt to warm water

To repair a broken tooth, you’ll need warm water, table salt and an old (clean) sock. First, dissolve 1/2 teaspoon of salt in an 8-ounce glass of warm water. Squeeze out any excess liquid from your sock, then soak it in your solution for five minutes. Next, take out your soaked piece of fabric and gently place it over your chipped or broken tooth repair. Bite down firmly on your damp sock for 30 seconds; don’t let go even if you bite through it. Afterward, remove your sock and brush off any remaining pieces of soft tissue with a toothbrush or dental pick. Rinse your mouth out with cool water and repeat as necessary until all fragments are gone.

Repeat steps 3-5 every few hours until there are no more loose particles falling out of your broken tooth repair. This process can take anywhere from days to weeks depending on how serious your injury is and how long it took you to start treating it; be patient and give yourself ample time to fully heal.[6] Avoid chewing too vigorously during this period, as doing so can cause further damage to your exposed nerve root. Instead, stick with softer foods like pudding and yogurt that don’t require biting pressure.

Holding the tooth together

If you’ve cracked your tooth, do not try to glue it back together with superglue. Instead, schedule an appointment with your dentist as soon as possible. Even if your tooth is only cracked in one place and doesn’t seem like it’s affecting anything else, it could be more fragile than you think and cracks can spread quickly. In many cases, broken teeth can be glued back together before they need filling or require more extensive repair work. Your dentist will also let you know if any of your other teeth are at risk for chipping or cracking. Use clove oil: Clove oil has been used for centuries by dentists who have found that it numbs sensitivity caused by sensitive teeth. By putting a few drops of clove oil on your cotton swab and dabbing it onto your tooth after filing down any rough edges, you may feel some relief right away.

Going to an emergency dentist

If you have a chipped or broken tooth, and it’s causing pain and you can’t wait for an appointment with your regular dentist, there are ways you can get relief. Most dentists will see patients right away, especially if they are in serious pain. Your best bet is to go directly to an emergency dentist instead of calling your regular dentist, who might not be available on-call. If that isn’t possible or convenient, call ahead and find out if they will provide walk-in service at all times and then just go in as soon as you can.

If you must stay home until your dentist’s office opens again, try:

The following tips won’t replace seeing a dentist—but they’ll help ease discomfort until you do:

Taking over-the-counter pain relievers: Aspirin and acetaminophen (like Tylenol) are often recommended for dental pain because they work quickly and have few side effects. In addition to working fast, these drugs also don’t require medical prescriptions; nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), like ibuprofen, which work even faster but may cause more side effects when taken long term. Just be sure to follow dosage instructions carefully—even small mistakes could lead to big problems.