Dental mishaps and emergencies happen every day.
It is important you contact your dentist immediately if you have sudden severe pain, a swollen face, swollen gums, a loose tooth, or tender gums. Because these are all signs of infection or an acute abscess.
But what if it’s on a weekend?
Or it happens when you’re out of town?
Or when your dentist is unreachable?
Has something like this ever happened to you?
Scene l – You Are Halted Mid-Chew
It’s Saturday night and you’re at a restaurant with friends. Or perhaps on a date.
Suddenly, you bite into something that’s unexpectedly hard – like an olive pit in your salad. You are jolted by a sharp wince of pain that halts you in mid-chew.
The pain continues with waves of aftershocks. It’s kind of like if you stubbed your bare toe on a block of concrete. Finally, the pain retreats.
But you realize your tooth just broke and you have no idea what to do when a tooth cracks.
Scene 2 – You Lose a Crown or Filling
You’re on vacation with your family. You’re in an old-fashioned candy when you spy some candy you haven’t seen since childhood – Charleston Chews! You can’t resist and you buy a bag.
You take one bite and feel the warm embrace of gooey chocolate taffy.
Uh-Oh! A crown has just been pulled off your tooth. Or…one of your large fillings just abandoned your molar.
What do you do?
Here are…
5 Common Dental Emergencies & What To Do Until You Can See A Dentist
1. A Chipped Tooth
- If there’s no pain: A chipped tooth usually will have jagged, sharp edges that love to grab your lip, cheek, or tongue. Use an emery board to gently smooth out the rough edges of your tooth until you can see a dentist.
- If the tooth is sensitive to cold, sugar, or heat: When a tooth first chips or breaks, it’s very sensitive to touch and temperature. This usually fades over time, but frequently applying Sensodyne toothpaste to the affected area can bring you some relief until you can see a dentist.
2. Your Tooth Cracks Or You Lose A Filling
Many products are available in the dental aisles of your local pharmacy that can help:
- DentTemp: Whether you use the premixed or powder version, place it in the void and pat it with water to harden the material. Then bite into it while it’s still soft. Scrape away any excess material with a toothpick.
- Dent’s Toothache Gum: Soften the gum in your mouth and place it on your affected tooth. If you can’t find Dent’s gum or can’t get to a pharmacy, you can use sugarless chewing gum, preferably sweetened with xylitol, instead. Mold it into the sensitive area to protect it. (A softened piece of household candle wax can also be hand-molded and pressed into place.)
- Sensodyne or Fluoridated Toothpaste: Coat your tooth with the toothpaste. Then cover the area with sugarless chewing gum or softened candle wax.
- If A Significant Portion Of Your Tooth Broke Off: If a significant portion of your tooth broke off and if the tooth has a large filling, there’s a good chance your filling is secure. This is even more serious than if your tooth cracks. If the tooth fragment has broken off completely, once the initial pain fades, you can continue your meal. But avoid cold, sweets, and extreme heat. If your tooth breaks and is dangling from your gum, go to the restroom with a glass of ice water. Place a piece of ice against your gum where the tooth is loose for 30 seconds. Be careful not to put the ice directly on the tooth. Your gum will get numb enough that you will be able to gently and painlessly remove the loose, broken piece of tooth. If the gum bleeds a bit, bite on a tissue or paper towel for a few minutes, and it should stop.
3. A Dislodged Cap Or Crown
- First, clean and dry both your tooth and the cap or crown. Place a dab of Fixodent or Polygrip into it and put it back in place. Then, tap your teeth together. If you can get to the store, make a loose slurry of flour and water and use it the same way. The cap or crown will only stay in place temporarily – so it is important to see your dentist as soon as possible.
4. A Dislodged Porcelain Veneer
- Try placing the veneer back on your tooth in the proper position. When you’ve got the hang of it, carefully place a dab of Krazy Glue inside and push it into place. Wipe away excess cement with nail polish remover. Remember, just a little dab will do ya!
5. Irritated, Tender Gums, Canker Sores or Inflamed Wisdom Teeth
- Rinse your mouth with Listerine or with a warm salt-water rinse. Swish vigorously. (Do not gargle). An anesthetic salve like Ambesol can also be applied for quick relief.
Remember, all the solutions above offer only temporary relief. If your tooth cracks or you lose a crown or you experience any of the dental emergencies above, please see a dentist right away.
If you’re one of my patients, you can always reach me by calling 212-685-3040. If the office is closed, listen to the message and you will be given my cell number.
Related Reading:
- What To Do When You Have A Dental Problem & Your Dentist’s Office Is Closed
- Chipped Front Tooth? You May Have Bruxism
DISCLAIMER: The advice I offer in response to your questions is intended to be informational only and generic in nature. Namely, I am in no way offering a definitive diagnosis or specific treatment recommendations for your particular situation. My intent is solely educational and my responses to your actual questions serve as a springboard for discussion of a variety of dental topics that come up in day-to-day dental practice. Any advice offered is no substitute for proper evaluation and care by a qualified dentist.
259 Responses
Dr. Sinkin-
Evening. I find myself in a terrible predicament. My boyfriend and I have traveled from Denver, CO to Birmingham, AL for the next 2 days. Once we stopped for a bite, he took a big bite of his burger, only to encounter a piece of rock hard bacon, and either cracked or chipped his tooth (back, right bottom molar). This being the south (on a Sunday), we cannot find any emergency dentists open until tomorrow. We looked for the gum but they had no idea what we were talking about :-/. We have also tried aspirin, Aleve, Orajel, and a lost filling/ loose cap repair kit (has an applicator and some putty that states it would take away the pain).
What else can we do? His pain is quite severe.
Thank you for any help
Christine
These things seem to happen at the worst of times. The temporary filling material was your best bet for topical relief of pain. Make sure you cover as much of the broken tooth’s void as possible. If the nerve of the tooth is exposed or irritated, the sedative in the filling may take some time to work. If not, pain medication is your boyfriend’s best option. I don’t particularly like Alleve because of dose restrictions, but it can help. Assuming no allergies, try taking an extra-strength Tylenol….but no alcohol. You can try warm salt water rinsing as well. Good luck.
Hi there,
I have just returned from my dentist after having a filling, having looked I have found that it’s my back crown that has been filled and look’s as if it’s now at a slant and look’s misshapen. Is this normal and can you have a filling in a crown.
To answer your last question in a word-yes. It is possible to have a filling placed on a tooth with a crown. Most commonly a “filling” will be placed in the biting surface of a crown to seal the access opening of a root canal treatment. Sometimes a patient can actually grind through the biting surface of a crown-especially if he or she bruxes at night. It is also possible to develop a cavity where the crown and tooth meet-technically we call that junction the margin of the crown but you can think of it as a seam. Placing a filling there will eliminate the cavity and preserve the crown. What you have described sounds like some sort of repair performed on the crown. Perhaps you broke off a wall of porcelain. In such a situation, bonding could have been performed to “restore” the broken piece. Of course bonding to a molar crown to replace a broken piece cannot anatomically correct (the sloped appearance you describe) because bonding is not strong enough to withstand the forces of chewing. I suggest you call your dentist and ask about your observations and initial reaction upon seeing it. He would know the what and why of what you are seeing.
Best,
Dr Sinkin
Thank you so much Dr Sinkin for such a prompt response! I will definitely do as you suggested and request a consultation first – in these kinds of situations for me personally, knowledge is not only power, but it definitely alleviates fear. Kind of like my being a white knuckle flyer for so many years until I actually learned about turbulence and what keeps the plane in the air, lol. To answer your question, the permanent crown (or maybe it wasn’t so permanent after all, I forget now – but it would have had a post if so, correct?) that I can lift completely out via something gooey, and fits firmly into place otherwise, does not have a post of course, and is filled with the filling material, not tooth. It almost appears as though I may have had some tooth around the perimeter, so she (dentist) put filling material in, and the crack that I heard not too long after leaving the dentist, was probably that thin perimeter bit of tooth that just cracked at the gum line. Then again there’s no broken edge of tooth, it just fits neatly in. Odd. I will definitely make my consultation appt Dr Sinkind, I feel much better already. I’ll keep you posted also! My sincere thanks – talk to you soon!
Add me to the long list of people who wish we were near enough to you Dr. Sinkin to become patients. The alleviation of anxiety and fear, and your calm, informative and compassionate demeanor goes such a long way. Yes, I am one of ‘those’ patients who’s crippling fear has always interfered with maintaining dental appointments with regularity. Leading me to my current problems! There are two. Both molars. Both root canals that had subsequently been crowned, one was temporary, the other permanent. A couple years ago leaving the dentist, newly proud of my ‘work,’ that I had had done, and managed to get through, I bit down, and heard/felt what was a tiny crack. That was the crown of course – at the time, I ignored it, the tooth looked fine, and I turned a blind eye. Of course you know the rest, the crown and entire tooth eventually dislodged/broke off completely when I ate something gooey I shouldn’t have one day. Odd thing is, I can stick it back in that spot and it doesn’t move unless i eat something like your example, a charleston chew on that side. My second problem is another molar on the right side, that had also been root canal’d, it had a temporary crown that I wore down to the quick, and now the tooth is gone except for a jagged edge sticking up. My questions is, I know I need to woman up and head into a dentist soon, but part of my problem is the fear factor and not knowing what they will do in these particular situations I’ve described. Plus, the judgement i worry about too. Can you give me a scenario for possible treatment options?
Dear Renee,
I am quite moved by your kind words and am sorry for your troubles. I regret that we are not in close enough proximity that I could personally help you. That said, I will try to allay some of your deepest worries by saying that it MIGHT not as dire as you fear (though admittedly, it’s not something you want to have happen.) It is possible that your tooth with the permanent crown may have fractured at or near your gumline in such a way that most of your tooth including its roots are intact. The part of the tooth that was mostly holding your crown broke away . (does your crown have tooth or filling material inside it?) That you can place the crown back makes me think that you might have enough tooth left to either refit it or have a new one made. It doesn’t sound like you had a post placed which may be why the tooth and crown broke away in the first place. It is encouraging that the crown stays in except when challenged by caramel-which you should not be eating!
The tooth with the temporary crown appears to have decayed to the point where much of your tooth is just “gone.” It is possible that the decay has not compromised your tooth to the point where it can’t be saved and restored with a post/core and a permanent crown (which is what should have been done soon after the root canal was completed.)
Sight unseen, l really can’t make a diagnosis. But, the sooner you address the situation, the better the chances of saving your molars. My advice….start by making a dental appointment for an evaluation only. Nothing to fear-just an x-ray and conversation. Information can be empowering. Don’t yield to your fears and make the worst case scenario (tooth loss) a self fulfilled prophesy. Get the facts. Take one step at a time. Let me know what you learn.
And good luck.
– Michael
I have one of my very front teeth break away the day before yesterday, just the bottom left hand corner of it-so that i can still see the back half of the tooth which looks fine. I am looking at a two week wait to get it repaired, is this going to result in losing the tooth? I am so grateful for you help.
This a one of those situations where it’s hard for me to offer a sound piece of advice without seing your tooth. Several questions come to mind: Did your tooth have previous treatment such as bonding or bonded fillings? Does your tooth have a large cavity which weakened your tooth? Was your tooth healthy previously untreated and you had the misfortune to bite on something unexpectantly hard? I assume that you have no pain or sensitivity. The likelihood is that if you are very careful, your tooth is not at any great risk of being lost-but that doesn’t mean it is secure; especially if the tooth was compromised in some fashion before the piece broke off. What I don’t understand is why your dentist can’t see you sooner. I consider a lost or severely broken front tooth to be a circumstance in which I will make time to evaluate and treat (even if it’s a temporary measure until more definitive care can be done.)
Call your dentist’s office and if the receptionist can’t accommodate you, ask to speak with the doctor. If you are out of town, find an emergency dentist to assess your condition. Good luck
Looks like I have cracked my filling . I was able to make an apt with the Dentist tomorrow at 130pm. The pain seems to have gotten worse, his staff said to tale Advil and use anbesol . Any other suggestions to get through the night?
thanks
Dona
Dona,
So sorry I didn’t see this sooner. I wrote a blog about how to get relief fast https://michaelsinkindds.com/blog/5-ways-to-get-relief-for-a-toothache/. Hope you got thru the night ok.
Michael
Thank you Dr. Sinkin! You have put my worries to rest!
The tooth did have a root canal so I am not having sensitivity.
The molar behind this tooth is also scheduled for a crown. It was my understanding that my next appt was to prepare this second tooth for a crown, give it a temporary then set both crowns at a 3rd appointment (I misstated in my earlier message about when the permanent crown would be seated) I need to be out of town tomorrow so Thurs June 20th would be the soonest I could schedule an appointment. Should I still see another dentist? I do not have insurance and this is all getting expensive.
Dear Kathy,
Based on your update, there is no urgency. Be careful not to chew on your uncovered tooth and brush normally. Your dentist will be able to take care of everything at your scheduled appointment.
My dentist is out of town until June 25th. I have an appointment on the 26th to have a permanent crown put on an upper tooth. My problem is the temporary crown fell out 2 days ago so I used over the counter dental stuff to glue the crown back on. Yesterday while eating the crown broke in two.
With my dentist gone, what should I do?
Dear Kathy,
Bummer. If you can, try to see a dentist who will be able to make a new temporary crown for you and keep your tooth protected.If you don’t, the gum may overgrow and your tooth may move making the fitting appointment more difficult. If your tooth did not have root canal treatment, I would imagine that it’s quite sensitive. A new temporary would cover it and make you more comfortable. In the mean time, brush it but don’t chew on it. If you can’t find a dentist, be careful not to damage the tooth and give your dentist the heads up on Monday. The new crown might not fit well enough to be placed on your tooth and he’ll need to make a new temporary and take a new impression. I would think your dentist has someone covering his office in case of an emergency such as yours. Call his office. Good luck.
I have what I believe is composite over my front 2 teeth. A piece came off when I was chewing. It fits perfectly back in place. I looked for dental cement in my local pharmacies but they don’t carry it. How can I reattach the piece of composite back to my tooth either permanitily or temporarily until I see my dentist? Would things like poligrip work?
What I am about to suggest is what I would do to my own tooth as a temporary measure only. If you are dexterous and very, very careful, I would carefully place a small dab of “crazy glue” on the dislodged piece of composite and precisely place it from whence it came. Practice placing it before applying the glue (tiny amount). Use acetone (nail polish remover) on a gauze pad to wipe off excess glue. Be careful not to cement your finger to your tooth! See your dentist as soon as you can get an appointment.
I swallowed by temporary crown last night at dinner. I don’t know how it happened but it did. It’s Saturday morning and I have nothing on the tooth site. My dentist office does not have an emergency line and I don’t know if today is one of their Saturday office days. Should I out anything on the tooth in place of the crown until Monday when I can get my permanent crown put on? My crown is in, I was supposed to have it put on next week. Thanks
Bummer. If you are adventurous, you can look for the temporary crown when it passes (I know it sounds gross) but if it were a permant crown I would encourage you to look for two reasons First, a crown is expensive to just flush away. Second, you want to make sure it passes; people with conditions like diverticulitis are at risk for a serious problem if the crown gets lodged in there intestine.
If you do find it, clean it thoroughly with soap and water and rubbing alcohol and place it back on your tooth with a denture adhesive like Fixodent or Polygrip.
Short of that, be careful not to chew on that side. If the tooth did not have root canal, it will probably be sensitive. Avoid very cold, hot, sweet or acidic foods. Favor chewing on the other side and keep your tooth clean. Brush with warm water and use a desensitizing toothpaste like Sensodyne.
Monday is not that far away so yu shouldn’t have any problems with the new crown fitting. Occasionally the gum will overgrow around the base of the prepared tooth so your dentist may have to get you numb to properly seat the crown. I like to place the permanent crown in with temporary cement if the tooth as been uncovered for any length of time to ensure long term comfort.
Enjoy your weekend and let me know how you make out. -Michael Sinkin
Thanks for the information Dr. Sinkin, you relieved some of my concerns. My tooth feels fine, a little sensitive, but I have an appointment to see my dentist on Monday. I was honestly a bit surprised that this happened given that the crown is relatively new. It also was a bit strange because it came apart in pieces and everything I read on the internet seems to be about a whole crown following out. Oh well..thanks again!
Hi, about six months ago I had a root canal and a crown placed on the molar. Well tonight ,while indulging in a box of Whoppers, I felt a strange crunching and much to my surprise my crown broke in half partially exposing the tooth underneath. It does not hurt so I am wondering if its okay if I can’t make it to the dentist for a few days.
Thanks!
Dear Skip,
No need to panic. Until you can get to your dentist, favor the other side while chewing and be mindful that the other half of your crown that is still in place could be dislodged. Don’t want to swallow or aspirate a wayward piece of porcelain. Brush the tooth as normal but stay away from the floss.
Nothing like a dental mishap to ruin the experience of malted milk balls which happen to be a personal favorite of mine. The good news is that your “root canaled” molar was protected by the crown. Were it not, you might have seriously damaged your tooth. Your crown may had an internal defect that created a point of weakness. Whoppers are not that hard. I would encourage you to ask your dentist to consider placing a porcelain fused to gold crown on your other molar. It has all of the beauty porcelain offers with the underlying strength of gold…no metal will show. A word of caution….no frozen milky ways. Good luck. – Michael Sinkin
I just want to thank you for your tips above. I cracked my tooth but the filling is still intact and the cracked piece is still intact. I will dry den Temp until i can get to my dentist on Tuesday. THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!!!!!!!!! I have extremem dental phobia and was having a panic attack, but now i know there is something I can do until my appointment. Thank you again! I wish I lived close so I could be a patient
Hi Elizabeth, Glad I could be helpful. Let me know when you move to NYC…We’ll leave the light on.
Calming advice given so quickly is hugely appreciated, many thanks.
I have just lost a crown, it’s come off on one piece and left a rough, short stumpy tooth behind. Trouble is in 8 days time I am due to go on a 3 week overland safari through Uganda and Rwanda, the last place I want to be with tooth pain (it doesn’t hurt now). Is it likely a dentist could fix it in a week? Will polygrip hold for 3 weeks? Is it too much of a risk to go?
Hi Nigel, Your dental problem does not appear to be catastrophic It sounds like your crown became “unglued”. Get ye to a dentist asap to have it recemented. If you wait too long your crown may not fit properly because teeth can move and your gum can grow over your tooth. Worse case scenario…glue it yourself. But! Be aware you will have to keep reapplying the Polygrip and brush the stump when the crown is out. Play it safe-see a dentist and have a good trip. – Dr. Sinkin
A couple years ago I had a root canal then 3 of my wisdom teeth were removed. My dentist told me that while taking my wosdom teeth out my second to last top molar cracked and part of my tooth chipped off. I didn’t have the time or money so I never got a crown for it. One day while eating an apple almost half my tooth broke off. Now years later I have to constantly have a toothpick near by because food is always getting stuck in the gap. Today my filling on the cracked tooth started becoming unhardened. I can feel part of my fillings moving around but it won’t fall off. My left side of my nerves are sensitive. However I cannot get to a dentist till after new years because I’m going out of town. I’m worried that the filling may fall out or if I chew on it I will experience more pain. What should I do because I haven’t been to a dentist in a while and will be away for almost 2 weeks?
Your story is not uncommon. Unfortunately it sounds like you have put your tooth and comfort in jeopardy by procrastinating for so long. The most common reason for a tooth that has had root canal to break and even fracture to the point that it must be extracted is not having it properly restored. In your situation, it was having the tooth crowned. Since “root canaled” teeth don’t have a nerve, pain or extreme sensitivity did not drive you to taking care of your molar in a timely manner. Essentially you have a hollow tooth that had broken and the temporary filling is disolving and displaced. Get yee to a dentist asap. If your tooth splits down the root, you will most assuredly lose your tooth and may actually develop a painful abscess. When a patient of mine has limited time and funds, I often make a temporary crown to protect the tooth until a permanent crown can be made. This is a very economical way to preserve the tooth and avoid the dental mishap you now must deal with. Good luck.
I broke a piece off of my back tooth, and it is a large piece. It is sensitive to cold and is really scaring me. Will my tooth get infected if I can’t see a dentist until Monday?!? I grind my teeth at night, and I’m wondering if this has weakened the tooth?!?
First things first…calm down. You will not get an infection nor will you develop an unremitting toothache. The problem you are describing is very common and while you will need to see your dentist to address your broken tooth, you can wait until after the holiday weekend. More than likely, you cracked off part or all of the inner (tongue side) cusp of one of your molars or bicuspids. The tooth probably already had a large filling which weakened the remaining structure.
I wouldn’t be surprised if the filling is still in place and the piece that broke off is/was unsupported tooth. The sensitivity that you feel is because the tooth is “alive” and the freshly exposed dentin is naked to the elements. Cold sensitivity, aside from jagged edges, is the most common complaint of a freshly broken tooth.
Until you see your dentist, place sensodyne toothpaste on the exposed tooth. This will help to reduce the unpleasantries of cold stimulus. Usually the thermal sensitivity dissipates as salivary proteins coat the tooth. You will probably need a crown or an onlay to restore your tooth properly. In the meantime, enjoy the rest of the holiday and what remains of Thanksgiving leftovers.
By the way, you may want your dentist to evaluate your nocturnal grinding…sounds like you vould benefit from a nightguard.
my crown has snapped clean off flat top of crown and flat tooth surface no pain no decay on tooth. Could I just have this stuck back
I dont think so. Sounds like you fractured your tooth and the crown came off with it. Look inside your crown…Is it hollow or is there tooth. If the latter, you snapped your tooth off. You will most likely need a new crown. If the tooth in your mouth doesn’t hurt, well that could be a good news/bad news situation. I’m glad you don’t have pain but the tooth may have had root canal OR you MAY need it. Dont worry.