Repairing a chipped tooth is typically fairly easy to treat. Depending on how bad the chipped tooth is, your dentist can bring back your smile through several restoration processes. Show
Despite being the toughest mineralized tissue in the body, enamel can still be broken. Whether it happened when you fall down the flight of stairs, blunt trauma to your mouth or simply by chewing ice or hard candy, it can damage your tooth and this requires immediate attention. What To Do? Before anything else, you must know what to do the moment you chip a tooth.
Treatment for a Broken Tooth There are several types of treatment for a chipped tooth, depending on the severity of the fracture. If it’s a small crack or chip, it usually takes one visit to the dentist to solve, while more severe fractures may need several appointments. For small fractures and chips, your dentist may recommend a simple procedure called ‘bonding’. Tooth bonding does not require numbing of the tooth and is an affordable, quick and painless way to repair many cosmetic flaws. To bond a tooth, the dentist will add a liquid or gel to prepare the tooth for the bonding material. Next, the dentist applies an adhesive and attaches the bonding material. The material is shaped to look like a natural tooth and is then dried by applying an ultraviolet light to harden the material. For larger fractures, a crown can be placed over the teeth. This requires filing down enough of the tooth to then place a cap over it and cement it down. This protects the exposed underside of the tooth while allowing you the ability to chew and smile normally. Crowns involve taking an X-ray and impressions of your teeth for a crown to be made. On a second visit, with a permanent crown ready, your dentist will use a composite cement to permanently place the crown over your tooth. If the fracture of the tooth is so large that it exposes the root or pulp of the tooth (the center which contains nerves and blood vessels), root canal treatment is needed. This treatment involves removing the remaining pieces of tooth along with the dead pulp. The dentist then cleans out the empty root canal and seals it to avoid infection. A crown is placed on the tooth to complete treatment. There are many options for chipped, broken, and fractured teeth, but only a medical professional can determine the right solution for you. A chipped tooth can happen to anyone. Discover how a cosmetic dentist can restore your smile when disaster strikes.Do you have a chipped tooth? Don’t worry – it happens often. Even if you brush and floss every day, you could still bite down on something hard and break a front or back tooth. But that doesn’t mean you’ll have to live with a damaged smile forever. There are multiple cosmetic treatments available to repair the tooth and restore your smile. Keep reading to learn how you can fix a chipped tooth. Why Did Your Tooth Chip?You have impeccable dental hygiene. You’re the person who brushes their teeth twice a day and always remembers to floss. Even your dentist praises you for clean checkups. But you still end up chipping a tooth—and even worse, it’s a front tooth. Why did this happen to you? As it turns out, chipped teeth can happen to anyone. And the older you are, the more likely you are to experience one. Here are the top reasons a person may chip, crack, or break a tooth:
While poor dental care increases the risk of chipping a tooth, unpreventable falls and injuries also play a significant role. Even a person’s mental well-being is a factor. In 2020, the ADA Health Policy Institute’s COVID-19 impact poll reported that dentists saw a 53.4% increase in chipped and cracked teeth due to emotional stress. Instead of beating yourself up over a chipped tooth, it’s time to look for ways to fix it. Cosmetic Treatments to Fix a Chipped ToothAfter chipping a tooth, a trip to a cosmetic dentist is in order. Innovations in cosmetic dentistry make it possible to restore even the most damaged teeth. While a chipped front tooth may look severe at first glance, there are a variety of cosmetic dental procedures available that may be used to restore your smile:
Front Teeth Crowns vs. VeneersYou chipped or cracked your front tooth and want to repair your smile. Both crowns and veneers seem like viable options. After all, they are both restoration procedures used to fix damaged teeth. But which of these cosmetic dentistry treatments is best for you? Here’s how you can decide between these two popular treatments:
Both crowns and veneers can help fix a chipped tooth. But depending on the extent of the damage, the dentist may recommend one treatment over another. If the tooth is still in pretty good condition, a veneer may be all that’s needed. However, a deep chip or crack usually calls for a dental crown. Tell-Tale Signs of a Cracked ToothA chipped tooth is one of the easiest dental problems to diagnose. Most patients can feel when a piece of their tooth breaks loose, and a quick glance in the mirror will confirm their suspicions. Luckily, most chipped teeth are nothing more than a minor cosmetic annoyance. A slightly broken tooth may affect your self-esteem, but it usually won’t harm your oral health. However, cracked teeth are a much more serious problem. Unlike chips that begin at the outermost edge of a tooth, cracks often start near the gum line. If left untreated, a cracked tooth can actually harm the root. When this happens, extraction is almost always required. That’s why early treatment is a must. Be on the lookout for these cracked tooth symptoms:
Only a dentist can confirm whether you have a chipped or cracked tooth. They will perform a series of tests, including a visual exam, bite test, and percussion test. Your dentist will also order a series of x-rays. Interestingly, fractures don’t always show up on x-rays, but they will reveal any damage to the tooth’s pulp. If a dentist suspects a fractured tooth, they will recommend treatment to prevent further damage. Cracked tooth repair is similar to fixing a chipped tooth. Crowns are usually the preferred option. However, if the crack extends to the root, the dentist will likely perform a root canal before placing a crown. In the worst-case scenarios, extraction may be the only choice. But today, dentists can save most cracked teeth thanks to modern dentistry. Caring for a Chipped or Cracked Tooth at HomeRight after chipping a tooth, scheduling an appointment with your dentist should be on the top of your to-do list. Waiting too long could lead to more damage. And if an infection sets in, you could even end up losing the tooth. Thankfully, chipped teeth are seldom a dental emergency. Even if it takes a few days to see your dentist, the odds are in your favor that nothing else will go wrong. However, that doesn’t mean you won’t feel some minor discomfort before getting it fixed. These tips will help reduce the risk of further damage while you wait for your appointment:
How to Prevent Chipped TeethAlthough a skilled cosmetic can restore any smile, it’s still wise to do whatever you can to prevent chipped teeth in the first place. Try these helpful suggestions:
Regular dental care is the best way to catch problems before they get out of hand. During an annual exam, your dentist will look for signs of gum disease or cavities. Treating any issues in the early stages will help ensure your teeth stay strong and healthy for years to come. Chipped Tooth Got You Down? Let Us Restore Your Smile Today.Even with the best intentions, it’s not always possible to prevent a chipped tooth entirely. A sudden injury or accident may leave you with a jagged front tooth, and eating the wrong foods could damage a molar. Good thing there are plenty of proven cosmetic procedures to restore your smile. Fixing a cracked tooth is just another day on the job for Dr. Saylor. Our dental clinic offers a wide range of cosmetic treatments to transform your broken teeth into the smile of your dreams. During your appointment, Dr. Saylor will examine your chipped tooth and offer viable treatment options. With over 25 years of experience as a cosmetic dentist, there isn’t a smile our team can’t repair! Dealing with a broken front tooth or cracked molar? Connect with Dr. Saylor to learn how to fix your chipped tooth and restore your beautiful smile. How much does it cost to fix a chipped tooth in the front?Bonding a tooth might cost anywhere from $100 to $1,000, and the total cost might depend on how much work needs to be done on a tooth. A filling might cost anywhere from $90 to $500. A dental veneer might set you back $500 to $1,500.
How do you fix a chipped front tooth permanently?Bonding a chipped tooth involves molding a composite material over the chip and the healthy area of the tooth; first your dentist will roughen up the remaining enamel so the composite will attach properly, then they will attach and shape the bond to create a natural looking cover over your chipped tooth.
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