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?

OMG I've been wondering about this too! a few days ago, me and my boyfriend accidentally head butted in the car lol and he hit me in the face with the back of his head... OUCH.. lol.. the pain was SOOO bad and it bothered me for a while, then a couple of days later he managed to hit me in the nose AGAIN with his cheek (grr) and we heard a cracking sound... ewww... lol but it doesn't hurt as bad as before, it never bled or became swollen so I think its all good.