Chewing hard foods, facial trauma, or tooth decay can all cause a chipped tooth. Leaving your tooth untreated could be extremely dangerous to your mouth and overall health.
If the cause is an injury or hard food debris, a dentist needs to make sure that your tooth’s pulp chamber (which consists of the nerves, connective tissue, and blood vessels of your tooth) hasn’t received irreparable damage. Any dental infection requires professional treatment before it spreads to other parts of your body via your blood vessels.
Whatever the cause, your Auburn dentist, Dr. Luminita Markham, can help. At Maidu Dental, Dr. Markham provides excellent, gentle service to each patient. Contact us at our Auburn dentist today if you need emergency dental care because of a chipped tooth.
How to Care for a Chipped or Broken Tooth?
Reasons why you get your tooth chipped or broken can vary, but they usually result in some degree of panic. Please, try to remain calm and coordinate an emergency visit to your trusted dentist for proper review.
At this stage, most of your tooth damage may be only structural, but as with any open wounds, untreated chipped or broken teeth can lead to worrying infections. These infections may also compromise other healthy teeth and your overall health.
The American Dentist Association (ADA) recommends you try the following:
Take over-the-counter pain medication to help ease the pain.
- Try saltwater mouth rinses to clean the area.
- Use a cold compress over the area to reduce any swelling.
- Cover your broken tooth with some tooth wax to avoid hurting your tongue or inside cheeks.
- Collect any broken tooth pieces and take them to the dentist.
- Avoid biting down with the chipped tooth.
How to Repair a Cracked or Chipped Tooth?
The safest bet is to let an experienced dentist know you need their help. Here are five ways we can repair your chipped tooth:
Recontouring
The best-case scenario is that you have a minor, cosmetic chip that hasn’t damaged the rest of your tooth. If this is true, Dr. Markham can use a dental instrument to gently smooth out the enamel of your tooth to restore your smile.
As we literally polish the surface of your teeth, we might also use some dental filling to cover any minor cracks that could endanger your tooth’s structural integrity. This is perhaps the easiest of options and won’t require you to completely modify your dental care routine.
Dental Bonding
If the chip isn’t causing any other damage, but you don’t want to shorten it by removing some of the tooth’s enamel, dental bonding is a great, affordable option. A tooth-colored composite resin can cover up any imperfections. This process is also ideal for broken or cracked front teeth.
To complete this process, your specialist will have to roughen up the chipped tooth with a dental etch to increase surface area tension with the bonding agent allowing for a more secure grip of the resin. The doctor will then rinse and dry your tooth and begin to apply the composite resin. Once it is properly shaped, we dry the resin with a curing light.
Don’t worry, we’ll make sure to smooth any rough edges, polish your teeth, and successfully color match the material to your natural tooth color to make your chipped tooth look as good as new!
Dental Crown
For a broken or severely fractured tooth, a dental crown may prove more effective. This cap – made from your choice of metal, zirconia, or porcelain – strengthens and covers the top of your tooth. These crowns cover all of the chipped teeth, proving to be a popular option among patients aiming to recover their beautiful smiles.
To place your crown, Dr. Markham will remove the damaged or decayed parts of the tooth. She will then take impressions of your teeth so your custom crown can be created. Once it is ready, she will place the crown on the tooth.
This process takes two visits to your dentist’s office as we will have to prepare the tooth and place a temporary crown while we create a customized dental crown to suit your needs. Check out our article on what happens when you need a dental crown on your front tooth.
Porcelain Veneers
One of the best things about veneers is that they look just like real teeth. They are custom created from an ultra-thin ceramic material that has the color and texture of a natural tooth.
Veneers only address cosmetic problems, so your teeth and gums must be healthy to undergo this treatment. During your consultation, Dr. Markham can determine if you are a good candidate. Just as with dental crowns, you will need at least two visits to the dentist’s office while we prepare the tooth veneer. Once you return, we can finalize the procedure and give you the smile you’ve been dreaming about!
Root Canal
Root canal therapy, for adults or younger patients, is usually more a byproduct of the previous dental treatments for your chipped tooth. If your complications include an infection that reaches the pulp of your tooth, you will need a root canal to ensure your dental health.
As part of the process, Dr. Markham removes any infected tissues from within the tooth and replaces them with a dental filling. This inert material ensures there are no empty spaces inside your tooth that could weaken the structure.
You will require a local anesthetic before this minor surgery. Don’t worry, as you won’t have to be fully asleep during the process. You’ll be awake in a comfortable and stress-free process that ensures your oral health is in optimal conditions. You can trust Dr. Markham and her team to have the knowledge, skill, and experience necessary to restore your oral health and beautiful smile.
Contact Your Auburn Dentist Today
Dr. Markham and our team are dedicated to providing personalized, comfortable care to each of their patients. If you have a chipped tooth, your Auburn dentist should assess the damage immediately. Contact our friendly staff today at (530) 507-8989 today for the care you need
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