What to Do For a Chipped Tooth?

You can break your teeth for a lot of reasons, including the following:

• Receiving a blow or hit to the face
• Using a tooth to rip open a packaging
• Biting down on something hard

You may be at risk of breaking your tooth if you play contact sports, which is why dentists recommend wearing an athletic mouthguard in such instances. Moreover, as convenient as it seems to use your teeth as tools and rip open snack bags or other items, it can actually lead to a chipped tooth. If you have already broken or ripped a tooth before, it might be more vulnerable to breaking even if it is repaired.

Other factors that put you at the risk of a chipped tooth are tooth decay, cavities, acidic foods, stomach acids, and aging. Make sure you follow the proper oral care to prevent dental troubles.

While you wait to see your dentist, you can rinse your mouth, and floss to remove any food particles that may irritate the tooth and cause discomfort. You can also use dental wax or even sugarless gum to cover the sharp edges of your affected tooth and prevent them from aggravating your mouth or cutting into it. Make sure you consult a dental professional to learn what you should be doing at home for a chipped tooth!

When you visit the emergency dentist, they will assess your tooth and proceed with the most suitable treatment. There are a variety of ways they can fix a chipped tooth, such as:

1. Bonding: If you have a small or less complicated chip, we will use tooth bonding. It involves molding the composite material over the chip after roughening up the enamel. Once it is hardened, bonding can give a natural appearance.
2. Veneers: A dental veneer can help repair severe damage or chips. We will use the veneer to cover the affected area, and by the end, it will blend in with your natural teeth.
3. Crown: When a break or crack results in significant loss to the original tooth, dentists might suggest a dental crown. It is a tooth-like cover that covers your entire tooth and protects it from further damage, decay, pain, etc.