Uh oh, you just broke a tooth! It may be time to call the emergency dentist. This is how you know if a broken tooth is an emergency.

Your smile is the gateway to your personality. It's the first thing that strangers notice when you break into a toothy grin and give them your best attitude.

When you chip or break a tooth, you immediately lose that charisma. Furthermore, you run the risk of infection that could go much deeper than your pearly whites. 

A chipped tooth or broken tooth is a serious dental and medical emergency that requires specialized care. Do not attempt to fix the problem on your own. 

Keep reading to learn more about how to respond when you break a tooth and how an emergency dentist in Framingham, MA can help. 

When a Tooth Breaks

When a tooth breaks, you lose more than your perfect smile. To best understand the nature of your emergency, you first must understand the anatomy of a tooth. 

Your teeth consist of three main layers: 

• Enamel: the hard outer layer of your tooth, full of calcium that makes your teeth white
• Dentin: the softer yellowish tissue under the enamel that makes up the bulk of the tooth
• Pulp: the reddish-pink inner layer that houses nerves and blood vessels

When you break a tooth, you typically expose your pulp or dentin layer. This break makes your tooth and ultimately your body susceptible to infection because the protective enamel that keeps germs at bay is gone. 

If you break a tooth and notice a black or brown coloring, you have an even bigger problem that needs emergency dental care. You most likely have either severe damage or decay under the enamel. 

Either way, you need to see an emergency dentist as soon as possible because you have a tooth emergency that could cause further problems. 

A broken tooth can result from any one of a few factors. Physical trauma such as a blow to the mouth easily causes chipped teeth. Sometimes, though, you can chip a tooth just by biting hard into an item. 

If you have extensive decay under the enamel, you're especially susceptible to chipped, cracked, or fractured teeth. Significant trauma can also displace the tooth or loosen it in its socket. 



Regardless of the cause, if you suffer trauma to a tooth, seek dental care quickly. 

How to Find an Emergency Dentist

When you suffer trauma to your tooth, you should call a dentist immediately. If you call during office hours, explain what happened to cause the broken tooth as well as the condition of your tooth. The associates will book a same-day appointment so you can see an emergency dentist that day. 



If you have an emergency after regular business hours, still call the emergency dentist's office. Typically a good dentist will have an answering service that gives you an emergency contact number for the dentist on call. You can then call that number and explain the nature of your emergency and see the dentist after hours or book an appointment for the next day. 

Saving a Broken Tooth

While you wait for dental care, you can do a few things to ease your pain and mind. First, if you're experiencing pain, take an over-the-counter pain reliever like acetaminophen. Second, swish salt water around inside your mouth to disinfect the area. 

If your broken tooth has a sharp edge that is irritating your tongue or cheek, cover the sharp edge with sugarless chewing gum or wax paraffin. If you have to eat while you wait, only eat soft foods that do not require chewing, such as yogurt or applesauce. 

The sooner you can see a dentist about your chipped tooth, the more likely you can save it. If you've just chipped or cracked the surface of the tooth, the dentist will use bonding or fillings to fix it. 

If you have a deeper crack that extends into your gums, however, you will need a more extensive procedure like a root canal and dental crown. Typically, the severity of the tooth emergency depends on your previous oral health. If you've had poor tooth care in the past, you could easily have underlying decay that will require more attention. 

Poor oral health will lead to significant decay even beyond the broken tooth. Decay exposes your teeth to infection which can lead to the gums, jaw bone, and beyond into your entire body. In the most severe cases, if you do not care for your broken tooth, you can develop sepsis in your entire body. 

Be aware that the dentist may not be able to save a severely infected tooth. You still have options, however. When the dentist removes your tooth, the dentist will mention replacement options such as bridges, dentures, and dental implants.



In the end, the broken tooth can lead to better overall oral health, especially if you've been avoiding the dentist for some time. 

When to Seek a Dentist in Framingham, MA

A chipped tooth will require a trip to the dentist's office. A true dental emergency occurs when you have a major tooth break, though. If the trauma you've suffered leads to missing a sizable part of the tooth or multiple teeth, seek emergency care immediately. 

If you've chipped or cracked a tooth, you can usually wait until the next day. Call the dentist and schedule a regular dentist appointment so you can restore your smile. 



Either way, seek dental care for your overall oral health. 

Smile With Confidence

A broken tooth requires emergency dental care. Failing to seek the proper dental care for a tooth emergency can lead to disastrous results. Not only will you have a compromised smile, but you open your body up to the risk of serious infection. 

If you've suffered from a broken tooth, give us a call. Your dentist in Framingham, MA will seek to first stop your pain and then correct the problem and carry out a restoration that prevents future deterioration or breaks. 

Our qualified and experienced staff is here to help you with your tooth emergency. Contact us today so we can get you smiling once again.