There are many ways you can chip your tooth. But once you’ve chipped it, what can be done about it?
After chipping a tooth, the first thing you should do is clean your mouth by rinsing with warm water. After that, minimize the swelling by applying a cold compress to the face. After that, call a dentist.
There are numerous options for addressing a tooth has been chipped. Dr. Kinn can recommend the best one. Here are a few of the options as well as a brief overview.
Tooth Bonding
Using a special resin that matches the color of the tooth, your dentist will fill the chipped portion of the tooth. Afterward, the chipped tooth will be identical to the rest of your teeth.
Tooth Contouring
Your dentist will take away a modest amount of the tooth’s enamel, reshaping the surface and eliminating all signs that anything ever happened. Tooth contouring is used for shallow chips. This method will not work to treat significant damage.
Dental Veneers
Dental veneers are sturdy, thin shells that are adhered to the front surface of your tooth, concealing any chip and making your tooth healthy and strong. They have the benefit of adding additional protection to the tooth.
Crowns
Made to look and feel like healthy teeth, crowns will hide the damage by covering the enamel of your tooth. It is basically a tooth-shaped cap that is applied over the damaged tooth and defends the tooth from any additional trauma.
Wondering about how someone chips their tooth in the first place? Let’s cover some of the ways people chip their teeth.
- Using their teeth as a tool
- Chewing something hard
- Bruxism
- As a side-effect of tooth decay
- Damaged by a water fountain
- Broken in a car accident
- Undergoing intubation
If you, or someone you know, has chipped a tooth, you should call us as soon as you can.
