First Aid for Broken Tooth

First Aid for Broken Tooth

Article
First Aid
Dental Health
Contributed byMaulik P. Purohit MD MPHMar 03, 2018

What is Broken Tooth?

  • A Broken Tooth is a common dental condition in which a tooth is broken or knocked out, due to an injury or trauma. It is a dental emergency, if a permanent tooth is broken, especially in older children and adults
  • The condition is also known as an Avulsed Tooth. Depending on the extent of damage, the tooth may or may not be placed back in position
  • Common causes associated with a Broken Tooth include participation in rough or high-impact sports, physical fights, falls, and automobile accidents

What are the Causes of Broken Tooth?

Broken Tooth may be caused by any of the following factors:

  • Athletic activities or rough/high-impact sports 
  • Physical quarrel, fights with other individuals, domestic violence
  • Any traumatic event, such as automobile, motorcycle, or bicycle accidents that cause injuries to the face
  • Fall injuries (mostly observed in young children and older adults)

What are the Signs and Symptoms of Broken Tooth?

The signs and symptoms of Broken Tooth include:

  • Injury to the associated blood vessels, nerves, and tissues
  • Bleeding from the mouth
  • Moderate to severe pain
  • More than one tooth may be involved, depending on the type of injury
  • In some cases, the entire tooth may not be broken, but a part of it gets chipped

How is First Aid administered for Broken Tooth?

First Aid tips for Broken Tooth include:

  • Find the tooth and gently pick it up by the crown (and NOT by the root)
  • Rinse and clean the tooth using milk (preferably) or water; keep the tooth wet
  • DO NOT WIPE the tooth with a cloth
  • Place the tooth in a small bowl/glass of milk and visit your dental healthcare provider, as soon as possible (with the dislodged tooth)
  • Control bleeding using a piece of gauze or clean cloth, by the application of direct pressure, if necessary
  • In case of severely damaged tooth and/or injury to the gums or jaws, visit the dentist right away
  • In adults:
    • When possible, try placing the knocked-out tooth back in position (by pushing it gently into the socket), and immediately visit the dentist
    • Bite on a piece of clean cloth/gauze to keep the knocked-out tooth firmly in place, when possible
    • Also, one may use the lips and tongue to keep the Broken Tooth in place
    • DO NOT force the Broken Tooth into position, if it does not stay in place (especially on the upper jaw)
  • In children or babies, who lost a milk tooth:
    • DO NOT place it back or re-insert the tooth. However, take the child to the dentist as soon as possible
    • In case a permanent tooth is knocked-out in an older child, try to place it back in position
    • Ask the child to bite on a piece of folded cloth, to retain the tooth within the socket
    • It is important to see that the tooth is not accidentally swallowed
  • Apply an icepack for 10-15 minutes to the outside, to ease pain
  • Avoid bending down and try to keep the head upright
  • Visit a healthcare specialist immediately for further assessment and treatment, preferably within 60 minutes of the incident, to increase the chances of restoring a Broken Tooth

Note: Some dental clinics have a storage box that helps save/store the dislodged tooth; try to avail the service.

Who should administer First Aid for Broken Tooth?

The affected individual or any bystander can administer first aid. Since, a Broken Tooth is a dental emergency, immediate medical assistance for replanting the tooth must be sought (in case a permanent tooth is involved).

What is the Prognosis of Broken Tooth?

  • The prognosis of a Broken Tooth depends on several factors including the extent of injury, the condition of the tooth (whether broken or badly damaged), and the time elapsed between the accident and the time taken to treat the condition
  • In many cases, when there is no crack or fracture of the displaced tooth, or considerable damage to the gums and jaw bones, the knocked-out tooth can be replaced into the socket and re-implanted with timely intervention (treatment provided within an hour). The healing time involved is typically a few weeks
  • In case of significant injury to the tooth and mouth/jaw, the healing time may extend to a few months. Following this, periodic dental checkups may be necessary for many months to sometimes, even for a few years

How can Broken Tooth be Prevented?

A few helpful tips to prevent Broken Tooth:

  • Individuals, who participate in any high-risk sports, such as football or hockey, should wear appropriate safety gear and helmets
  • Provide a safe play environment to children
  • Wear a helmet while riding a motorcycle or bicycle
  • Wear a seatbelt while driving an automobile
  • Avoid biting on hard substances including hard foods (such as bones)

What are certain Crucial Steps to be followed?

  • Appropriate and urgent medical help
  • Retrieve the knocked-out tooth; handle it carefully by the crown and DO NOT touch the root of the tooth
  • DO NOT brush or use chemicals to clean the retrieved tooth
Was this article helpful

On the Article

Maulik P. Purohit MD MPH picture
Approved by

Maulik P. Purohit MD MPH

Assistant Medical Director, Medical Editorial Board, DoveMed Team

0 Comments

Please log in to post a comment.

Related Articles

Test Your Knowledge

Asked by users

Related Centers

Loading

Related Specialties

Loading card

Related Physicians

Related Procedures

Related Resources

Join DoveHubs

and connect with fellow professionals

Related Directories

Who we are

At DoveMed, our utmost priority is your well-being. We are an online medical resource dedicated to providing you with accurate and up-to-date information on a wide range of medical topics. But we're more than just an information hub - we genuinely care about your health journey. That's why we offer a variety of products tailored for both healthcare consumers and professionals, because we believe in empowering everyone involved in the care process.
Our mission is to create a user-friendly healthcare technology portal that helps you make better decisions about your overall health and well-being. We understand that navigating the complexities of healthcare can be overwhelming, so we strive to be a reliable and compassionate companion on your path to wellness.
As an impartial and trusted online resource, we connect healthcare seekers, physicians, and hospitals in a marketplace that promotes a higher quality, easy-to-use healthcare experience. You can trust that our content is unbiased and impartial, as it is trusted by physicians, researchers, and university professors around the globe. Importantly, we are not influenced or owned by any pharmaceutical, medical, or media companies. At DoveMed, we are a group of passionate individuals who deeply care about improving health and wellness for people everywhere. Your well-being is at the heart of everything we do.

© 2023 DoveMed. All rights reserved. It is not the intention of DoveMed to provide specific medical advice. DoveMed urges its users to consult a qualified healthcare professional for diagnosis and answers to their personal medical questions. Always call 911 (or your local emergency number) if you have a medical emergency!