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One of the most common dental emergency today is a broken front tooth. You might be crunching on a piece of candy or ice when you notice something in your mouth that is not dissolving or melting away. You experience some discomfort and realize that you’ve just broken your tooth. Although your tooth’s enamel comprises one of the hardest and toughest parts of a tooth and can endure great pressure, its strength has some limits. It is possible for an enamel to break or fracture due to stress or trauma. If you notice that you’ve broken your tooth, don’t panic, there are quite a number of things that your dentist can do to restore the natural appearance of your tooth. However, if your broken tooth is due to trauma to your head or face, treat that as a dental emergency and visit your dentist as soon as possible. This is especially if your trauma is associated with some dizziness, memory loss, disorientation, severe head or an earache, loss of consciousness or if you notice that your teeth do not fit properly after the trauma. The trauma may have resulted in injury to your brain, broken your jaw joint (TMJ) or caused bleeding inside your skull. This guide provides a comprehensive guide to you on what to do if you break your front tooth. Contents A Step-by-Step Guide on What to Do When You Break Your Front Teeth Children with Broken Tooth Is Broken Front Tooth a Dental Emergency? Common Causes of Broken Tooth Types of Broken Tooth Treatment of Broken Tooth Why does a Broken Tooth Need to be fixed? Effects of a Broken Tooth How to Avoid a Broken Tooth Bottom Line A Step-by-Step Guide on What to Do When You Break Your Front Teeth Our teeth were not made in a way that they can handle hard candies, jawbreakers or even at times hard nuts. Also, there are times when the food we consume contains particles of nuts or bone. These small particles can affect our teeth in the worst way. It is advisable that you be careful any time you are eating especially if the food contains hard substances. Every patient reacts differently to a dental emergency; there are some who will get very distressed and panic because they are afraid of losing their tooth. While there are some, who will understand that if they take appropriate measures, it is not the end of the story. So, it is important to respond sensibly while dealing with a dental emergency such as a broken front tooth. If you or anyone close to you happen to break their teeth, here is a quick step-by-step guide on how you can deal with it before seeing a dentist. Step 1: Rinse your Mouth After experiencing any dental emergency, the first step should always be to rinse your mouth with some warm water. This will help you clear any blood or debris that may be present. Remember to be gentle when rinsing and stop if the pain becomes too great to bear. Step 2: Stop any Bleeding In case your broken tooth is bleeding, apply some pressure using a piece of gauze to stop the bleeding. Apply some pressure on the area and monitor the bleeding for about ten minutes until it stops. If the bleeding doesn’t stop, try applying a tea bag on the area. Step 3: Reduce Swelling If the area surrounding the broken tooth is swollen, try and use an ice pack to control the swelling. You will need to reduce the swelling in order to prevent any further injury and reduce the pain. Step 4: Call Your Dentist The broken tooth must be assessed by a dentist right away. The dentist will be able to determine if the nerve of the tooth was damaged or if it’s only a portion of the tooth that is damaged. The dentist will also be able to determine the best treatment for the tooth depending on the extent of the damage. Step 5: Cover the Tooth In case you are in a situation that you are not able to see your emergency dentist right away, you may want to apply some dental cement to the remaining part of the tooth. You can find dental cement at any drugstore near you. Remember, this is just a temporary solution until you see a dentist. Step 6: Take Some Pain Medication Sometimes tooth breaks may result in a lot of pain. In case you are in pain, take over the counter painkillers. Consult your dentist for further recommendations. Use a cold compress to reduce your discomfort until you get to your dentist office. Children with Broken Tooth When the teeth of your child or baby (or primary teeth) are injured, the dentist can aesthetically restore them. However, it is not recommended to repair a knocked out or dislodged baby tooth. Further damage may be caused by the permanent tooth that is still developing underneath. Children who are developing adult teeth requires careful attention if they suffer dental trauma. After they have received any type of treatment, you should then schedule regular check-ups to make sure that the tooth is still growing as it is expected. Is Broken Front Tooth a Dental Emergency? If you experience a broken tooth, this is not something to be taken lightly. It may appear just as a cosmetic issue to you, but in fact, it might have caused more damage than it appear. If you fail to visit your dentist immediately, the broken tooth may result in a permanent and extensive damage that may be costly and involve a lot of dental procedures to repair. Even if you don’t think your broken tooth is very bad, you should still make a point of seeing your dentist as soon as possible. The neighbouring teeth might have also suffered some injury that cannot be detected immediately. Your dentist should be the first person to see when you experience a dental emergency

When it comes to having a tooth cavity filled, it is essential to know that you have the right to decide on what materials and treatment to be used for your dental care. Your dentist will determine the materials on a personalised basis, taking into consideration of the size and location of the tooth cavity. There are several teeth filling options to choose from. These options are highly effective for restoring your tooth structure and make it possible to chew or bite down with no irritation or discomfort. The most vital part of any teeth filling is to restore a tooth. It is also important to make a decision of a filling based on the longevity, functionality, appearance, and budget. Here are your options for teeth fillings that are currently available. – Amalgam fillings Amalgam has been in use for more than a decade now to fill teeth cavities, and it is still widely used these days. It is a strong combination of elemental metals, and it may also include components of silver, copper, tin, mercury and other metals. Amalgam fillings are silver in colour therefore they are not the best tooth coloured fillings to be used in more visible teeth at the front of the mouth. Amalgam contains some mercury; therefore, doubts have been raised about its safety. Excess exposure to mercury has been linked to causing neurological problems, especially among children and infants. However, research done by major health organizations have determined that amalgam fillings are a safe option for teeth fillings. The other components are used to stabilize the mercury and mitigate the risk of its ill effects. – Composite fillings Composite is a tooth coloured material which is made of quartz or glass and resin. It is increasingly becoming the most commonly used filling material used by dentists to restore teeth. Years ago, this filling was not as strong as amalgam fillings and tended to become discoloured and worn out over time. However, with technology advancements, these problems have been resolved to the point that there’s increased prove that a well-placed composite filling is more durable than an amalgam filling. The best advantage of composite filling is that they are natural looking and gives a more attractive finish than amalgam fillings. Also, they help to hold teeth together and prevent teeth fracturing by bonding to the tooth around filling. – Gold Fillings Gold fillings are among the most durable dental fillings options available. They can last up to 20 years. They are made from a laboratory depending on the shape and size of your tooth and then cemented into place. Due to their durability, gold fillings are considered to be one of the best filling material. – Porcelain Porcelain fillings are also knowns as inlays or onlays. They are the strongest class of restorations; they are custom made in a laboratory to fit in or over a cavity. This class of restoration suits patients who tend to wear down or break teeth and fillings or restoring large cavities that are too big to be repaired with conventional fillings. They are made to look like your natural teeth. – Resin or Glass Ionomer Kids are also vulnerable to cavities and may also require having those cavities filled. Resin or glass ionomer is used to fill primary teeth since they are considered delicate and vulnerable to wear and tear. When used on an adult, they are placedin places where there is no huge pressure while chewing. Bottom Line In case you need to have your tooth filled, talk to us at Springvale dental clinic. We will help you choose your most preferred tooth filling material and let you know the pros and cons of your preference. To find what are your options for teeth fillings based on your tooth or budget, make a call and schedule foran appointment with us at Springvale Dental Clinic.

Even though dentures are not your natural teeth, they need as much attention and care as natural teeth. It is vital to keep your dentures clean to help improve both how you look and feel. Failure to properly clean your dentures may ruin your beautiful smile by staining your dentures and promote the spread of bacteria. This may not only ruin your dental health but the health of your body in general. Here are some few tips on how to properly clean your dentures and avoid bacteria. 1. Start by rinsing your dentures Thoroughly rinse your dentures using some warm water. This helps to remove any food remains or residual acids from thefood you may have recently eaten. Just like natural teeth, brushing dentures that have some acids can make them more vulnerable to scratching and abrasion. 2. Apply a mild cleanser or denture paste Do not use a regular toothpaste on your dentures because it is too abrasive. There are mild soaps that are gentler on dentures, but the most suitable cleaners are dentures pastes. They are pastes or gels made purposely to clean dentures. Denture paste or gel will assist you toget rid of more bacteria without causing damage. 3. Use a soft denture brush to scrub your dentures It is recommended to use a denture brush so that you can reach and clean all the parts of your denture. An ordinary toothbrush may also be used, but you will have to be a bit more attentive to ensure you reach all the curved parts of the dentures. You should place a washcloth on the bottom of your sink then fill it partly with water. This will offer a cushion just in case you unintentionally drop your dentures. Dentures are likely to break when dropped on a hard surface. You should hold your dentures firmly in your non-dominant hand, not too tight or you could break them. It is vital that you clean your dentures thoroughly. Any unreached gaps where bacteria are not removed may promote theformation of tartar and increase risks for gum infections and inflammation. 4. Rinse your dentures again Once you have thoroughly cleaned your dentures, the final step is rinsing them off by holding them under running water. You should use your denture brush to rinse off any food debris and cleanser. Inspect your dentures carefully to make sure they are properly cleaned. If there are still any parts that have a slimy feeling to them, that means there might be an indication that some plaque was left out. Once you are certain that your dentures are clean, you can either put them back in your mouth to wear or soak them overnight. 5. Soaking your dentures It is a good feeling to have your dentures out for some time everyday so that your mouth tissue can have a rest from the constant contact. Nevertheless, your dentures need to remain moist when they’re out of your mouth. The best way to do this is to soak them overnight. Use a chemical solution recommended by your dentist to soak in your dentures. This will help to loosen the food deposits and stains that you then rinse away or brush to keep away bacteria. Bottom Line Your dentures should last for a number of years if you take good care of them. If you have dentures, you should continue visiting your dentist on a regular basis so that he or she can check for any problems. Contact Springvale dental clinic for affordable dentures. We offer dentures in a variety of denture styles that include partial and full dentures. Our experienced dentures will help you find the best match for your needs.