How do you go about fixing a chipped tooth? When you’re eating a hard piece of candy or crunching on ice only to realize that something hard inside your mouth doesn’t dissolve or melt, there is a good chance that it’s a chipped tooth. While the enamel covering the teeth is arguably the hardest tissue, it can still go through wear and tear. Biting something excessively hard, getting hit in the face, falling, etc., especially when you already have tooth decay, can result in your tooth breaking or chipping.
If you have a chipped or broken tooth, there is no need to panic as dentists can do plenty of things to fix it. Continue reading this piece to learn how professionals fix broken or chipped teeth.
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Caring for Broken or Chipped Tooth
If you have a fractured, chipped, or broken tooth, it would be best to book an appointment with a dentist immediately. Otherwise, there is a good chance that your tooth could damage even more and get infected. Issues like these often cause people to lose their teeth entirely.
Let’s look at some self care measures that you can follow in the meantime:
- Consider taking over the counter pain relief medicine like acetaminophen if you have severe tooth pain. Rinsing your mouth using some salt water could also be helpful.
- Covering it with sugar free chewing gum could help you prevent bruising your tongue if you have a jagged or sharp edge on your teeth.
- Avoid chewing on hard foods. Instead, consider eating softer foods when you have broken or chipped teeth.
Treating a chipped or broken tooth usually depends on how severe the damage is. For instance, if only a tiny part of your enamel is chipped away, the repair may not take too much time and only require just one visit to the dentist. However, if the damage is too much, you may need to undergo a costly and lengthy procedure. Now, let us look at how dentists repair chipped or broken teeth.
Dental Crown or Cap
If a massive chunk of your tooth chips or breaks, there is a high likelihood that the dentist will fill or grind away the remaining part of your tooth. After that, they may use a tooth shaped cap or crown to cover it, which will help safeguard the tooth and improve its overall appearance.
Root Canal Therapy
If a tooth breaks or chips and exposes a massive part of the pulp, it can result in bacteria and infection causing a great deal of pain. Some telltale signs like heat sensitivity and teeth changing color indicate that the pulp is most likely diseased or damaged. In such situations, endodontists or general dentists perform root canal therapy. In most root canal procedures, dentists cover the remaining part of the tooth using a crown to protect the weak tooth.
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Dental Bonding or Filling
If only a tiny area of your tooth enamel got damaged, the dentist could repair it with a filling. However, if your front teeth require repairs, the dentist is highly likely to use bonding, a procedure that uses composite resin colored like regular teeth.
How to Fix a Chipped Tooth: Final Thoughts
A chipped tooth can be quite painful, and seeking treatment is important before things get worse. At Ideal Smiles Dental, we know the importance of fixing broken or chipped teeth quickly for you and all of our patients. So, please book an appointment with us, and one of our seasoned dentists will take a close look at your tooth and choose the right action to fix it.
IDEAL SMILES DENTAL
2955 Veterans Rd. W, Suite 2G
Staten Island, NY 10309