Having a tooth break in your mouth can be alarming, especially if you feel bits or pieces of a tooth flaking off onto your tongue. It's unfortunately easy to start coughing or even choke on these tiny teeth fragments, so it's important to avoid that at all costs. Here's what you can do to reduce your risk of choking on tooth particles without harming your tooth further.

Dental Cement

One of the recommended steps for saving a damaged tooth is also useful for keeping shards from breaking off into your mouth. Purchase some dental cement from your local drugstore.

The dental cement sold in stores isn't a substitute for a dentist visit, and it doesn't have the lasting power that the adhesive dentists have access to does. However, it can help to seal up your tooth and keep any shards in place, rather than snapping off in your mouth.

Toothpaste

If you can't find or don't have time to get dental cement, you can use toothpaste instead. Just put a small dollop of toothpaste on your finger and then apply it to the tooth. Don't wet the tooth or the toothpaste. However, keep in mind that this solution is quite temporary and eating, drinking, or brushing your teeth will wash away the toothpaste. Consider only using toothpaste until you can get dental cement.

Get to Dentist

Finally, it's time to go to the dentist. Whether you make an appointment with a general dentist or an emergency dentist, make every effort to be soon as soon as possible. The longer your tooth is broken, the more likely it is that shards will fall off of it. Ideally, you should see a dentist before you sleep, as any particles of tooth that come loose while you're asleep could be more dangerous for you, as you won't be consciously aware of them.

Depending on the damage to your tooth, your dentist will either repair the damage and seal the tooth with a dental filling or suggest a dental implant. Dental implants are utilized when the tooth has been severely damaged and cannot be repaired, especially if the root is in bad shape or already dead.

If you're worried about shards of tooth posing a choking hazard, follow these steps. Make sure to not rinse your mouth, as that could loosen more broken parts and potentially damage the internal structure of the tooth. Contact a dentist and get help right away for your dental problem.