“My tooth in the back is half broken, what should I do?”

Question

Dentist Questions Tooth Disorders

“My tooth in the back is half broken, what should I do?”

My tooth in the back broke while I was eating. It has broken in half and is causing a lot of pain. What should I do to prevent an infection and to treat the pain?

31 Answers

What are the early signs of dental trouble?

Have a question aboutTooth Disorders?Ask a doctor now

**Dr. Edward D'witt Mcdonald** Dentist Dacula, GA · Accepted Answer

Dr. Edward D'witt Mcdonald Dentist Dacula, GA

Find a reputable dentist in your area and schedule an appointment immediately.

**Dr. Brian Anthony Moore** Dentist Florence, Kentucky · Accepted Answer

Dr. Brian Anthony Moore Dentist Florence, Kentucky

If there is a lot of pain, then you very well may have a crack involving the pulp which would require either a root canal or if the crack is bad enough, tooth removal. I would advise seeking a dentist as quickly as possible.

**Dr. Stephen Lashen** Dentist Denville, NJ · Accepted Answer

Dr. Stephen Lashen Dentist Denville, NJ

Call your dentist ASAP, if it’s very sharp, take an emery board and rub it back and forth.

**Dr. Sujit Kumar Mohanty** Dentist Glen Allen, Virginia · Accepted Answer

Dr. Sujit Kumar Mohanty Dentist Glen Allen, Virginia

You should visit a dentist ASAP to determine if the tooth can be saved and then to possibly obtain prescriptions for antibiotics and anti-inflammatory agents.

**Dr. Sufia Palluck** Dentist Las Vegas, NV · Accepted Answer

Dr. Sufia Palluck Dentist Las Vegas, NV

It's hard to know for sure without seeing it, but it sounds like you're going to need to have the tooth extracted if it's broken in half.

**Dr. John W. Frerich** Dentist Marshall, MN · Accepted Answer

Dr. John W. Frerich Dentist Marshall, MN

You really need to see a dentist as soon as is reasonable. It isn’t possible to comment on how to treat this without seeing the tooth or a current X-ray.
John

**Dr. Harjot Kaur** Dentist Auburn, NY · Accepted Answer

Dr. Harjot Kaur Dentist Auburn, NY

You should get it checked by a dentist. Get an X-ray done and see how far it's broken. If it's broken till the pulp tissue, it will need RCT & crown to restore. If not, then just a filling to restore it, but have to get an X-ray done for sure. It's important to get it checked first.

**Dr. Smita S. Warrier** Dentist Charlotte, NC · Accepted Answer

Dr. Smita S. Warrier Dentist Charlotte, NC

Unfortunately, there is no way to prevent an infection or pain. You can try rinsing with warm salt water to keep the area clean until you see your dentist, which should be as soon as possible.

**Dr. Thomas T. Pham** Dentist Surprise, AZ · Accepted Answer

Dr. Thomas T. Pham Dentist Surprise, AZ

You should see a dentist right away. You may have broken the tooth into or close to the nerve. This can leave the tooth unprotected and could lead to an abscess. As for pain, over the counter Advil or Tylenol.

**Dr. David Kaffey** Dentist Lansdale, Pennsylvania · Accepted Answer

Dr. David Kaffey Dentist Lansdale, Pennsylvania

Firstly, you MUST have that looked at by a dentist. Left untreated, it could become infected and lead to many serious problems. For immediate and TEMPORARY pain relief, many people who are able to take ibuprofen find it to work well.

David M. Kaffey, DDS

**Dr. Robert T. Cadalso** Dentist Mission Viejo, California · Accepted Answer

Dr. Robert T. Cadalso Dentist Mission Viejo, California

Get to a dentist ASAP!!! Nothing good is on the horizon if you wait IF it is savable the sooner that is dtermined the better

**Carla H. Schlissel** Dentist West Islip, New York · Accepted Answer

Carla H. Schlissel Dentist West Islip, New York

There are several reasons a tooth can break. Treatment will depend upon the location and the reason for the breakage as well as if there is even enough tooth to fix. Your best bet is to get to a dentist as soon as possible.

**Dr. Jesse Grimm** Dentist Kernersville, NC · Accepted Answer

Any tooth that breaks should be evaluated by a dental professional because it could potentially cause serious oral(mouth) and or systemic( whole body) health issues. A fractured tooth causing pain has a higher need of evaluation. The fracture involves nerves and other vulnerable soft tissues either inside the tooth and or the supporting tissues( gums, connective tissue, bone). In either case infiltration and spread of bacteria can and will occur leading to potential serious health effects. Therefore it needs to be evaluated by a dental professional for treatment needs.

**Dr. Jack Craig Stewart** Dentist Lansing, Kansas · Accepted Answer

Dr. Jack Craig Stewart Dentist Lansing, Kansas

Go to a dentist to see if the nerve is exposed. If it is, the tooth needs to be extracted or get a root canal if the tooth can be restored. If $ is a question, extract it. The tooth could possibly be restored, if the nerve is not exposed.

**Dr. Justin P. Rader** Dentist Coeur d'Alene, Idaho · Accepted Answer

Dr. Justin P. Rader Dentist Coeur d'Alene, Idaho

With symptoms like that, you should see a dentist right away for treatment options. It will need evaluated for possible large restorations in order to save the tooth. If the tooth is not restorable from large decay/cavity or a fracture below the bone level, then it will most likely need extracted and tooth replacement options discussed.

**Dr. Jeffrey Russell Yost** Dentist Franklin, TN · Accepted Answer

Sorry to hear about your broken tooth. The pain can be simply due to exposed dentin. This part of the tooth is normally covered by enamel, and if exposed, it is very sensitive (or painful) to air or water. Depending on the size of the break, a filling or dental crown can fix your tooth and cover the exposed dentin. However, if the break is more serious and extends down to the nerve of the tooth, you may need an antibiotic followed by an extraction or root canal to stop the pain. You need to see your dentist as soon as possible and get an x-ray taken of the tooth. This will enable your dentist to see how severe the break is and to determine what your options are. In the mean time, ibuprofen is the best over-the-counter pain medicine to take for tooth pain. However, if the tooth is broken down to the nerve, this will not work as well, so get to your dentist as soon as you can.

**Dr. Eric Paul Buck** Dentist Dublin, OH · Accepted Answer

Dr. Eric Paul Buck Dentist Dublin, OH

Visit your dentist as quickly as possible. It will not get better on it's own and a severe infection can set in that can affect other teeth. There are no home remedies you can perform to prevent the infection. Your dentist may be able to save the tooth if it doesn't break any further.
Eric Buck

**Dr. Mark Joseph Birnbach** Dentist Boulder, CO · Accepted Answer

Dr. Mark Joseph Birnbach Dentist Boulder, CO

Contact a dentist as soon as possible

**Dr. Thu-Nga H. Ortega** Dentist Fairfax, Virginia · Accepted Answer

Dr. Thu-Nga H. Ortega Dentist Fairfax, Virginia

This constitutes a dental emergency. Make an appointment with a dentist right away to have the tooth treated to prevent an infection from forming and severe pain kicking in.

**Frederick Evan Solomon** Dentist New York, New York · Accepted Answer

Frederick Evan Solomon Dentist New York, New York

Tylenol or Advil and warm salt water rinses can help to alleviate some of the discomfort. You should see a dentist as soon as possible. An x-ray and exam will determine the extent of the damage to the tooth. It will be determined if the nerve needs to be treated and the best method for restoring the tooth back into comfortable function.

Frederick E Solomon DMD

**Lawson Rener** Dentist Kansas City, Missouri · Accepted Answer

Lawson Rener Dentist Kansas City, Missouri

You can pack the area with a wax or sugar free gum plug until you can get to the dentist. I would recommend seeing a dentist immediately as a tooth broken in half with pain present could have a pulp exposure or involvement that would require a root canal or endodontic treatment to prevent further infection and pain. Be seen soon.
Dr. Rener

**Hussein Shivji** Dentist New Westminster, BC · Accepted Answer

I would recommend seeing a dentist as soon as possible especially since the tooth is causing pain. In the best case scenario, you may need a filling to repair the broken portion of the tooth. Depending on how badly the tooth is broken, you may also need a root canal and a cap (crown) to properly restore the tooth. In some cases, the fracture may extend to the root surface and the tooth may not be salvageable and will need to be extracted.

**Sharon Snell Jordan** Dentist Macon, Georgia · Accepted Answer

Sharon Snell Jordan Dentist Macon, Georgia

See a dentist immediately. You may call my office for an appointment 478-743/3583. (The office opens at 7am)

**Dr. Rajul K. Patel** Dentist Bloomingdale, Illinois · Accepted Answer

Good Afternoon,
It would be best to come into the office so that we could take a look and see exactly what is going on, and do our best to get you out of pain. That way if you do have an infection or are at risk of getting an infection that can be prevented. We would love to get you scheduled as soon as you can come in so that we can treat this as soon as possible. Give the office a call so that we can further assist you with scheduling a reservation. (630) 307-3133.

**Dr. Rita Salvi Platt** Dentist Chicago, Illinois · Accepted Answer

Dr. Rita Salvi Platt Dentist Chicago, Illinois

You would need to see a dentist ASAP to prevent further damage and hopefully avoid a rootcanal. Most likely a crown is needed

**Justin Kenney** Allentown, PA · Accepted Answer

Justin Kenney Allentown, PA

Try to get in to see a dentist ASAP to have it fixed or extracted.

Tristan Schaffer

**Sura Hadad** Dentist Halifax, Nova Scotia · Accepted Answer

Sura Hadad Dentist Halifax, Nova Scotia

Take pain killers but you should go to a dentist to treat it.

**Dr. Thomas Perry Rennaker** Dentist Tarzana, CA · Accepted Answer

Dr. Thomas Perry Rennaker Dentist Tarzana, CA

Call us we would love to schedule him asap.

**Henry Buhl** Dentist Chattanooga, Tennessee · Accepted Answer

You can find an emergency tooth repair kit at your local pharmacy that will get you over until you have time to make an appointment for your dentist to properly restore the tooth permanently. This temporary measure will keep the tooth from getting infected, but it only lasts a short period of time as it's not a permanent solution. The tooth is completely dry before you apply the material, usually I recommend the Q-tip the drive is tooth or a piece of cotton gauze try to keep your tongue away from it while it's drying.

**Nathan Le** Dentist Cambridge Park, New South Wales · Accepted Answer

Nathan Le Dentist Cambridge Park, New South Wales

Keep it clean with brushing, mouthwash. Take a painkiller and see a dentist ASAP.

**Afsoon Gerayli** Dentist Reseda, California · Accepted Answer

Afsoon Gerayli Dentist Reseda, California

You need to see a dentist. If the tooth can be saved, get the proper treatment and if not, get it extracted. If you don't do anything, it can get infected.

Health Categories

Conditions

Health Journeys

Communities

Resources

Media

Medical Experts

“My tooth in the back is half broken, what should I do?”

31 Answers

What are the early signs of dental trouble?

Patient Login

Oops! There was a login error

Doctor Login

Oops! There was a login error

Resources

31 Answers

More from FindATopDoc on Tooth Disorders

Patient Login

Oops! There was a login error

Doctor Login

Oops! There was a login error

For Patients

For Doctors