Thinking of broken tooth can send sends shivers down some people’s spine. The excruciating pain and the hit that your physical appearance could take is unforgettable. A broken or a chipped tooth could not only cause embarrassment and pain. It could even keep you starved, especially if you are experiencing a broken molar pain – that is because it’s too painful to eat!

Cracked Tooth Symptoms To Watch Out For

Some of the symptoms reported by patients experiencing severe pain due do a broken tooth are as follows:

• Swelling around the gums of the broken tooth
• A throbbing pummeling sensation in the gums
• Piercing pain
• Pus-filled around the painful region
• Bad breath
• A headache
• Nerve sensitivity and pain.
• Broken tooth no pain

Broken Wisdom Tooth Pain

Wisdom teeth are the last four teeth of your permanent teeth. They are strong and used for breaking hard food. They usually appear in the later stages of teenage. However, constant abuse like biting hard candy or other hard substances can cause breaking of teeth. You may think, “It is the back tooth, no one may notice. So, it’s ok to leave it untreated.’

Well, guess what, this broken tooth could accumulate bacteria and could get decayed further, spreading germs to the surrounding tissues, causing severe inflammation and jaw pain. This, in turn, could lead to other complications. Wisdom tooth fractures are diagnosed by x-rays and can be capped to prevent further damage. If you notice signs of infection, try some of our ‘broken-tooth home remedies to stop from hurting your teeth or gums any further.

Some tooth cracks are so severe that patients shiver from head to toe merely by a touch on the sensitive region.

Fractured Tooth – Core Reasons

The tooth is one of the strongest parts of our body. Well-maintained teeth are supposed to serve man for a hundred years. Why do some people have a broken or chipped tooth? Well, the following reasons could explain this:

• Loss of enamel due to over brushing
• Night grinding
• Poor nutrition and loss of calcium
• Accident
• Tooth decay
• Receding Gums
• Swelling in infected gums
• Cavities
• Habitually chewing on hard substances
• Tight braces
• Broken tooth filling

When you see a doctor, you must be able to explain your problem or symptoms. Being educated about your problem solves 80% of your trouble. The rest 20% is best left to care and treatment.

How would you understand if you have a broken or a chipped tooth?

Here is what you must know:

• If you have small shadow like lines that are not painful, they are called craze lines. They are hairline cracks in your enamel. You don’t need to visit a dentist. They usually come with age.
• When the surface of the tooth breaks but is not causing much pain or discomfort, it is called a fractured cusp. This, however, needs to be seen by a doctor.
• A tooth having a crack running from the surface to the root is called a cracked tooth. A cracked tooth is painful and needs a dentist’s attention.
• An untreated cracked tooth will result in a split tooth, which would mean it would have to be pulled out. A split tooth is painful and if not extracted on time could be host to bacteria, causing infections, and other complications.
• A fracture emanating from the root to the surface of the tooth is called as a vertical root fracture. It may not be painful initially. However, it can gradually lead to severe gum inflammation, infection, pain and may even spread to the surrounding gum tissues.

How is your dentist going to examine your chipped, broken or a fractured root?

A broken or cracked tooth is investigated using any one or a combination of methods given below.

• Clinical examination- Checking for sensitivity by applying pressure or a thermal stimulus.
• Dental history – Investigating past dental treatments, adjustments, replacement, cavities and previous history of a cracked tooth..
• Visual inspection – Inspection using magnifying loops or devices.
• Tactile exploration – An exploration of the crack by scratching the surface with a sharp dental explorer.
• Consulted exploration- Prying the tooth with a device becomes necessary to investigate cracks, especially at the base of the tooth or below the gums.
• Percussion test– Tapping with the device to identify chips or cracks.
• Periodontal probing to identify cracks or breakages.
• Bite test- The patient is asked to bite a small ball of cotton, tooth by tooth to identify the sensitive or painful regions.
• Others: Radiography, Microscopic inspection, ultrasound, and trans-illumination

Are you one of those victims?

There are several dental remedies and procedures conducted by orthodontists to treat the problem. But most of these come with a heavy investment of time and money. Whatever the reason may be, the severe pain inflicted is real and unbearable.  In the meantime, we would like to share with you a few home remedies that would help you alleviate the pain to a greater extent.

Home remedies for cracked tooth:

1. Saltwater

It is an effective home remedy for multiple oral problems. Mix a teaspoon salt in a quarter cup of water well. Swish it in the mouth for about 30 seconds. Spit it out. Avoid eating anything for an hour. Salt has great antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and painkilling properties. Rinsing the mouth with salt water will remove the pain killing germs and give you instant relief.

Saltwater increases the pH balance in the mouth, neutralizing that acidic content that helps bacteria thrive in the mouth. It speeds up the healing process by stimulating the soft membranes in the mouth to produce saliva and prevents the mouth from drying up. Dry mouth is a host for oral bacteria and infections.

2. Don’t throw away your tea bag

The soothing and relaxing properties of tea are well known to all. Treat yourself to a hot cup of tea. The hot tea will relieve your pain. Now pull the bag out and gently and squeeze the liquid and air out. Slide it into your mouth and place it on your damaged teeth without puncturing the delicate wet bag. The antioxidant properties of tea will begin to work with the soothing compress and give you instant relief. Black or green tea bags are preferred as they have strong astringent tannins that help in reducing clotting of the blood and reducing inflammation.

3. Use Ginger Root

Kitchen experts know how to use ginger root recipes in cooking. Little do people realize that the healing properties of this root are miraculous.  Ginger is a great antibacterial agent. It is a common kitchen ingredient you can rely on to kill bacteria. Chew a sliced disc of ginger and suck on it until you have sucked out all the juice. This is sure to quell your pain for a few hours. The compounds in ginger are loaded with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. They are used to treat numerous health conditions like digestive disorders, aches, pain in the jaw, osteoarthritis, heart ailments and even some symptoms of cancer, naturally.

4. Alcohol to your rescue

Alcohol is a disinfectant and painkiller. Dilute 1 part brandy or whiskey with 3 parts water and swish in your mouth for 30 seconds. Spit it out. You will notice the difference. Be sure you keep the solution warm. Cold alcohol solution can cause tingling or more pain for people with extreme sensitivity. Alcohol is an analgesic with pain-numbing properties. It works well on short-term or stress-related pains. It blunts the sensation of pain by reducing stress and anxiety. While alcohol is addictive, consuming it in moderation has its undeniable benefits. However, it is recommended that patients with chronic pains must try alternative pain management strategies.

5. Chew On An Onion

Onion can cause bad breath. But who wants to deal with people when in one is in extreme pain? Onions are great painkillers and have been used to treat oral problems for ages. Onion is also loaded with natural antibiotics. Applying onion juice or chewing on an onion will not only help in bringing down the pain, but also will help in fighting the bacteria causing the pus and inflammation. Onions are packed with antioxidants that eliminate free radicals that harm the body cells.

6. The All-In-OneSolution – Baking Soda

The one kitchen mate filled with innumerable goodness is baking soda. Swishing baking soda in water increases the pH balance in the mouth. This protects the mouth and teeth against infections. Mix a teaspoon of baking soda in a cup of water and swish it in your mouth for 30 seconds. You will get instant relief. Use it as often as needed to alleviate your pain.

7. Grab Your Friendly Kitchen Mate – Garlic

An apple a day keeps the doctor away and a garlic a day keeps everyone away. On a more serious note, garlic has strong antibacterial properties that help in combating bacteria and reducing pain and inflammation. Chew on a garlic slowly and let the juice rest in the painful area for about 30 seconds. Repeat every 3-4 hours, or as needed. The Sulphur compounds in garlic in garlic help in reducing that broken tooth gum pain. Consuming garlic with anti-inflammatory medication and painkillers increase their potency.

8. Chew Some Clove

Clove oil has been a traditional remedy for any kind of painful root problems. It is nature’s anesthetic bounty. It is used in several kinds of toothpaste and pain relief medications.

Place a clove on your chipped tooth and gently chew on it. Let the oil sit in the affected area for 10-15 seconds before you swallow it. It numbs the nerve causing the split tooth pain almost instantly.

Alternatively, you can also pour a few drops of clove oil on a cotton ball and place it directly on the affected tooth to give you relief. The active ingredient Eugenol in clove oil works instantly on coming in contact with the skin to numb pain. A British research study has published that Eugenol is more effective for pain and inflammation than any other painkiller. No wonder, so many painkilling medicines have clove oil in them.

9. Go for the Hydrogen peroxide rinse

Rinse your mouth with a 3% hydrogen peroxide solution. Tilt your head to the side of the affected tooth to let the liquid rest on it. Repeat it as needed to get relief from that chipped tooth pain.

10. Spinach for pain relief

Instinctively, animals chew on spinach when they have dental problems or stomach aches. Spinach has powerful anti-inflammatory and painkilling properties. Blanch some spinach in hot salt water for 5 minutes. Chew on the warm spinach for relief. Spinach not only reduces inflammation, but also acts as a diuretic removing excess water and reducing pain further.

Spinach brings to you the goodness of vitamin K, C, and A, all of which are essential for healing, repairing tissue and restoring bone health. For the best results, consume raw spinach. The best recipe is a spinach and banana smoothie. Blend 1 cup of fresh spinach leaves with 1 cup of yogurt and one ripe banana. This delicious drink will relieve your broken tooth throbbing pain in no time.

Concluding Remarks

Your teeth are neither indestructible nor to be taken for granted. Abuse and ignorance results in broken and damaged teeth. Proper care and a regular visit to the dentist will ensure you do not damage them. Disregard this, and you will soon face expensive dental treatments for uncomfortable solutions like prosthetic teeth. Take good care of them and they will take care of your health and well-being.

Related helpful resources – 

• How to Whiten Teeth With Baking Soda
• 15 Home Remedies To Cure Root Canal Pain
• 10 Home Remedies to Treat Inflamed and Puffy Gums