“How can I help my cracked tooth?”
My back tooth is cracked, and I'm on vacation. So, I can't really make it to the dentist until the end of the week. Is there anything I can do to get relief until I can go to my dentist?
8 Answers
Sorry you are experiencing discomfort on your vacation! You may try to see a dentist who handles out-of-town emergency or go to a hospital emergency room to get pain relief medication. If neither option is possible you may eat soft foods on the opposite jaw and take over the counter pain relief pills, dosage as recommended on the container eg. extra-strength motrin etc. Call your dentist and make an appointment for treatment very soon to avoid tooth loss.
Dr Fox
Dr Fox
While on vacation, the best thing to do is avoid hard foods and chewing on that side. Take some pain medication such as Ibuprofen to help ease the pain and if possible you can schedule with a dentist in the area.
Hello,
Sorry to hear about your tooth. If you are not having discomfort, then I would say enjoy the rest of your vacation and see a dentist when you get home. If you are having discomfort, that is a tougher question. Avoid using that side if you can, use pain medication appropriately, and you can try over the counter topical anesthetics. Of course this all varies depending on where you are vacationing.
William Scott
Sorry to hear about your tooth. If you are not having discomfort, then I would say enjoy the rest of your vacation and see a dentist when you get home. If you are having discomfort, that is a tougher question. Avoid using that side if you can, use pain medication appropriately, and you can try over the counter topical anesthetics. Of course this all varies depending on where you are vacationing.
William Scott
Tylenol, Ibuprofen
If you are feeling that throbbing nerve pain, an NSAID such as Ibuprofen (advil) or naproxen (Aleve) will help reduce the inflammation, which is what causes most dental pain. Always consult with a physician if there is any concern if you can not take these OTC medications.
If you are able to be seen by a dentist in the area, then they can manage the cracked tooth for you. If no access to a dentist, then over the counter pain medication can be taken to manage pain and avoiding eating on the side of the mouth with the cracked tooth.
You should see a dentist there. If you cannot and are having pain, you may try an over-the-counter sedative-type filling. It may help. If the tooth is broken, but you do not have any pain, then you may be able to make it home without incident. However, seeing someone there is still your best option.
When you have a "cracked" tooth or some kind of fracture and you cannot get to a dentist right away, it is best to stay away from anything hard or crunchy on that side. You may have some sensitivity to temperatures with a fractured tooth, so avoid extreme differences of temperatures - either very cold (ice cream) or hot (coffee). With some fractures, there is always the possibility of losing your tooth, so I stress the importance of seeing a dentist as soon as possible.
