What to Do If Your Broken Tooth Keeps Cutting Your Tongue
A broken tooth is a common injury that dentists deal with often. And in most cases, you can wait a while before you fix a chipped or broken tooth. But sometimes, a broken tooth is so jagged and sharp that it can cut your tongue whenever you eat or speak. If this happens once, it's annoying and painful — if it keeps happening, it's a dental emergency.
As such, if your broken tooth is causing you great discomfort, then take the following steps.
Book an Emergency Dental Appointment
If your broken tooth keeps cutting your tongue or lips, you have an urgent issue on your hands. If possible, you need to see your dentist right away, no matter what day or time of day it is. This is because if you go to sleep with a broken tooth that is sharp, you could injure yourself in your sleep.
If you can get to an emergency dentist, they'll be able to fill the broken tooth quickly or at least place a temporary crown if the break is serious. But until you can get to a dentist, you'll need to protect your tongue from further damage.
Cover the Broken Tooth to Protect Your Tongue
Fortunately, you can cover the sharp edge of a broken tooth with several easy to find items, like:
- Dental or orthodontic wax (for brace wearers)
- Sugarless chewing gum
- Cotton ball
- Temporary filling from a local pharmacy
Even if it is late at night, you should be able to get hold of at least some cotton balls. But if you can't find any of the above because you aren't at home or simply don't have any, you'll need to try to hold your tongue on the roof of your mouth until your dental appointment.
Take Some Pain Medication to Reduce Pain and Swelling
Both your tooth and your tongue might be sore, with some swelling. This can make it difficult to protect your tongue in the aforementioned ways. Take some pain medication then to reduce the swelling and discomfort before you cover your broken tooth and wound.
Don't Attempt to File the Tooth Yourself
Some people attempt to file their own teeth when they suffer a breakage. This is a mistake; the risk is simply not worth it. If you don't know how much pressure to exert or don't have a steady hand, you could break your tooth even more and even cut your gum or tongue. Wait until you see your dentist. They can fill the tooth safely and restore it to its former glory.
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