How can you tell if you broke your nose?

My mom and I were talking about random things and suddenly this subject came up. She's convinced that I broke my nose at the dentists' office (long story there) a few years ago. But isn't your nose a lot of cartilage?? So what actually happens to it when you break it?? Are there signs that show breaking it at one point in time??

*Thanks

If your nose breaks, usually the nose bleeds quite considerably and can feel 'out of joint'. In most cases, with a broken nose, within a day or 2 you get bruising around/under your eyes. When a nose is first broken, it can be reset to it's original position and shape. If a broken nose goes untreated, deformity of the nose occurs, usually displaying either a crooked bridge, a bumpy bridge, or any combination of the two. In this case, a doctor or cosmetic surgeon will need to reset it, which does involve re-breaking the nose. In the case of a minor fracture, I'd say a regular M.D. can do it, but in more severe cases I'd imagine a plastic surgeon would have to reconstruct the nose and repair significant damage and/or scar tissue.

does your nose hurt when you parly touch it if it does it is broken trust me a kid in my gym class he is a boy through a dodge ball at me it hiy my face and I broke my nose so fun mail me if this helped

I think broke my nose last night, about 24hrs ago. Although, people insists on telling me I didn't. It didn't bleed when it happened, but it did make me start tearing, not crying but tearing. I got elbowed on the right side so my nose kind of curved to the left and it was swollen afterwards. I have a bumpy bridge and a crooked bridge. I think it is definantly broken, I just want proof, so is it?