I Just Chipped My Tooth. How Should I Handle It?

Chipping a tooth while eating something hard can come as a shock. Is this a dental emergency? How should you handle it when you’ve chipped tooth?

The first action to take is to rinse with warm water to clean your mouth. Then you should bring down any swelling by applying a cold compress to the face. After that’s done, be sure to call a dentist.

There are numerous options when it comes to addressing a tooth has been chipped. Dr. Reineck, Dr. Powers or Dr. Naylor can suggest the best one for your situation. These are some of the options as well as a brief overview.

Tooth Bonding

With a special resin that matches the color of the tooth, the dentist can fill the area that was chipped. After the procedure is done, the tooth that was damaged will look no different than all of the other teeth.

Cosmetic Tooth Reshaping

For this technique, the dentist will take away a small amount of the tooth’s enamel, and the surface will be smoothed, eliminating any sign that the tooth was ever damaged. Tooth contouring is used for minor chips. This method isn’t an option if the chip is deep.

Veneers

Veneers are thin, strong coverings that can be adhered to the front of your chipped tooth, concealing the damage, restoring the strength of the tooth as well as the appearance. They have the benefit of adding a protective layer to the damaged tooth.

Dental Crowns

Made to look and feel just like a real tooth, dental crowns will hide the damage by covering the visible part of the tooth. A crown is essentially a cap made to resemble a tooth which protects the tooth from additional trauma.

So, how do most people break their tooth to begin with? Below is a list of the ways people manage to chip their teeth.

• Using their teeth to open something or hold something
• Chewing on anything hard
• Teeth grinding
• Weakened enamel due to cavities
• Using water fountains
• Car accidents
• Undergoing intubation

If you’ve chipped a tooth, call Milford Dental Excellence as soon as you can.