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

Find a reputable dentist in your area and schedule an appointment immediately.
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.
Call your dentist ASAP, if it’s very sharp, take an emery board and rub it back and forth.
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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

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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
Contact a dentist as soon as possible
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.
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
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
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.
See a dentist immediately. You may call my office for an appointment 478-743/3583. (The office opens at 7am)
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.
You would need to see a dentist ASAP to prevent further damage and hopefully avoid a rootcanal. Most likely a crown is needed
Try to get in to see a dentist ASAP to have it fixed or extracted. 

Tristan Schaffer
Take pain killers but you should go to a dentist to treat it.
Call us we would love to schedule him asap.
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.
Keep it clean with brushing, mouthwash. Take a painkiller and see a dentist ASAP.
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.