{"id":359,"date":"2026-10-29T12:58:12","date_gmt":"2026-10-29T12:58:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.333dentalcare.com\/blog\/?p=359"},"modified":"2026-10-29T12:58:16","modified_gmt":"2026-10-29T12:58:16","slug":"how-to-handle-a-broken-tooth","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.333dentalcare.com\/blog\/2026\/10\/29\/how-to-handle-a-broken-tooth\/","title":{"rendered":"What Should I Do if I Break a Tooth?"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignleft size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"534\" height=\"356\" src=\"https:\/\/www.333dentalcare.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/AdobeStock_578377955.jpg\" alt=\"A woman with a broken front tooth\" class=\"wp-image-361\" style=\"width:300px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.333dentalcare.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/AdobeStock_578377955.jpg 534w, https:\/\/www.333dentalcare.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/AdobeStock_578377955-300x200.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 534px) 100vw, 534px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Your teeth are durable and strong enough to withstand chewing a full diet. In fact, the average bite can exert up to 200 pounds of pressure! But although your smile is equipped to handle incredible force, it\u2019s not invincible, and sometimes teeth can become broken or cracked. Here\u2019s why if this happens, you should head straight to the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.333dentalcare.com\/emergency-dentistry.html\">emergency dentist<\/a>, and a few ways they can fix it if you do!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<!--more-->\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How to Handle a Broken Tooth<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Breaking a tooth can be a very scary experience, but if it happens to you, it\u2019s important to try and remain calm. Be sure to rinse your mouth well with plain water or warm saltwater to clear away any sharp pieces, food particles, and other debris. If you find any tooth fragments, set them aside. If your mouth or tooth is bleeding, apply pressure to the injury. If it doesn\u2019t stop in about 10 minutes, head directly to your nearest emergency room<strong>. For life threatening injuries, call 911 immediately.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Next, call your emergency dentist directly. Don\u2019t rely on email or a webform to request an appointment, as this could make it take longer to treat your tooth. Your dentist may request you come in immediately, or in some cases you may be able to wait a day or two if needed. Your dental team will advise you over the phone what to do next, such as how to care for the injury and stay comfortable until your appointment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How Does an Emergency Dentist Treat Broken Teeth?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Depending on the severity and location of the breakage, your dentist has many options for treating broken teeth. While he will do his best to salvage the damaged tooth, it is important to understand that it may not be possible and you may need to have any remaining portion extracted, or you may possibly benefit from the following:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Dental crowns:<\/strong> Durable, lifelike <a href=\"https:\/\/www.333dentalcare.com\/dental-crowns.html\">dental crowns<\/a> are the typical, go-to solution for broken teeth. They fit over the existing, reshaped tooth like a hat or cap, restoring its appearance and function. Crowns are often necessary following root canals or for teeth that have become too decayed for a traditional filling.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Tooth-colored fillings: <\/strong>These <a href=\"https:\/\/www.333dentalcare.com\/restorative-dentistry.html\">restorations<\/a> can be used to rebuild smaller breaks and are made of a beautiful, natural-looking tooth colored composite resin. With proper care, they can last five or more years before needing replacement.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Root canal:<\/strong> Although you may not need <a href=\"https:\/\/www.333dentalcare.com\/root-canal-therapy.html\">a root canal<\/a>, if your broken tooth is infected or the injury has exposed the inner pulp, you may need one of these smile saving procedures to avoid extraction.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">While hopefully one of these solutions will successfully restore your smile, if your tooth has incurred too much damage, you may need to have it extracted. In this situation, your emergency dentist can perform the procedure and help you explore your t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.333dentalcare.com\/replace-missing-teeth.html\">ooth replacement options<\/a> once your mouth has healed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Remember, nobody wants a broken tooth, but sometimes dental damage cannot be avoided. When the unthinkable occurs, remember to do your best to stay calm, and then give your emergency dentist a call so they can help restore your healthy, pain-free smile!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">About Dr. Lively<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.333dentalcare.com\/meet-our-dentist.html\">Dr. Dustin Lively<\/a> earned his undergraduate degree at Western Oklahoma State College and Oklahoma State University and his dental degree at the University of Oklahoma College of Dentistry. &nbsp;Following graduation, he has taken numerous continuing education courses through programs at the prestigious Misch Implant Institute and the Pierre Fauchard Academy. If you have broken a tooth or are experiencing any other dental emergency, call <a href=\"https:\/\/www.333dentalcare.com\/contact.html\">333 Dental Care<\/a> as soon as possible at 580-782-2552.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Your teeth are durable and strong enough to withstand chewing a full diet. In fact, the average bite can exert up to 200 pounds of pressure! But although your smile is equipped to handle incredible force, it\u2019s not invincible, and sometimes teeth can become broken or cracked. Here\u2019s why if this happens, you should head [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-359","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.333dentalcare.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/359","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.333dentalcare.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.333dentalcare.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.333dentalcare.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.333dentalcare.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=359"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.333dentalcare.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/359\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":362,"href":"https:\/\/www.333dentalcare.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/359\/revisions\/362"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.333dentalcare.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=359"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.333dentalcare.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=359"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.333dentalcare.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=359"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}