A Chipped Tooth Is Common & Fixable!

Chipping a tooth is actually very common for adults and children alike, and they’re notably easy to achieve. Although teeth are the strongest part of the human body, it only takes a little bit of contact at the right angle, for practically anyone to chip a tooth.

Your smile is the first thing people will notice about you and usually leaves a lasting impression, so if you have a chipped tooth we can help restore your smile.

If the chip is small, we may be able to use a polishing instrument to smooth out any rough edges that remain which is important so you don’t cut the inside of your mouth or tongue. Bonding is also an option which we apply materials to the surface of your tooth that helps to maintain the structure and appearance. If it’s a big chip, porcelain veneers are an option to make the tooth the same size as it was before. In severe cases, we may have to install a crown or perform a root canal.

Even if it’s only a small chip there may still be a risk and we recommend seeing your dentist as soon as you can. Getting help quickly will help to eliminate any possible infections or other problems related to the injury and it allows us to preserve the beauty of your smile especially if the chip is located on one of your front teeth.

If you or someone you know has chipped a tooth, here are few things to do while trying to reach your dentist:

• Stop the bleeding – Do this by using clean gauze and gently apply pressure to the area. Rinse and apply new gauze as needed.
• Rinse your mouth with warm water – This will help keep potential irritants from the area around the tooth. If you are in pain, you can rinse with warm salt water and add ibuprofen to help relieve the pain.
• Reduce swelling – Apply an ice pack on your face in the area where your tooth is chipped.
• Call us to schedule an appointment, if it is an emergency just let us know.
• Preserve the chipped piece if possible – According to Harvard Medical School, you should save the chip if possible sometimes it can successfully be reattached to the tooth. Preserve the tooth in milk or saliva to keep it from drying out. If you can’t save it, there are other treatment options available. Once we evaluate the area we can decide what the best repair should be based on the severity of the chipped or cracked tooth.