Tooth chipping does not have to apply only to weakened teeth. Although the tissues that build teeth are very strong, cracked or damaged teeth are very common in dental offices. Fortunately, in most cases, full comfort can be easily restored to the patient.
What to do if a tooth is chipped?
First of all, you should book an appointment at the dental office. After tooth chipping, consultation is necessary, because in addition to visible defects, there may also be more serious mechanical damages and it is against them that the tooth should be protected in the first place. The dentist will inform you about the available treatment possibilities. If the fracture is accompanied by pain, standard painkillers may be used.
Symptoms of a chipped tooth
It might seem that the symptoms of a chipped tooth are obvious and there is practically nothing to discuss. When it comes to large cavities, this is also the case, while cracked teeth or teeth that have chipped only minimally are sometimes harder to detect.
- A chipped tooth injures the tongue, so it can often be detected by the occurrence of small wounds on the tongue.
- A cracked deciduous or permanent tooth stops carrying loads properly and can cause localized or radiating pain in the jaw or mandible, which often hinders free eating.
- Just like wounds on the tongue, sores on the oral mucosa can easily form. If there are no other causes, you may want to look to see if your teeth have been chipped.
In most cases, the sharp edges of the fracture or defect are much better felt under the tongue than seen, so this is also an important part of the initial diagnosis.
Causes of a chipped tooth
The causes of tooth chipping can be different. They often occur simultaneously and overlap.
- Weakened teeth and improperly performed root canal treatment. A well-protected tooth after root canal treatment is relatively strong, but a poor filling of its interior certainly increases the risk of cracks.
- Improperly arranged teeth do not appropriately carry loads, so it takes relatively little force to chip them.
- Bruxism (teeth grinding). It leads to permanent weakening of their structure, which increases the risk of cracking.
- Eating hard foods. When the teeth are strong, this should not be a problem, but weakening them for any reason is a common cause of chipping.
- Mechanical trauma. A fall or impact can cause the tooth or alveolar bone itself to rupture.
The causes of tooth damage may lie partly in congenital weaknesses, but they can be prevented much more often by properly caring for oral health.
How to fix a chipped tooth? Treatments and methods
Smoothing
Minimal chipping of the tooth can be repaired (although this is not quite the right term) by filing the material surrounding the damage. Of course, this method only works if the broken tooth fragment is really small.
Veneers
Veneers allow to build up the broken tooth or mask cracks visible from the front. The crack itself, of course, must be properly treated before placing the veneers.
Crowns
The placement of a prosthetic crown allows not only to hide the chipped teeth but above all ensures full functionality. Saving the tooth and crown placement is possible even with a relatively large loss.
Fillings
Cracked teeth should be secured, and the fillings allow for the removal of the defect and at the same time obtaining an aesthetic finish in place of the lost tooth fragment. Thanks to new technologies, fillings can sometimes be put on even in those cases where tooth extraction was once recommended.
Homemade remedies for tooth cracks and damage
There are no home remedies for a chipped tooth. Yes, sharp edges will smoothen over time, but the tooth needs to be repaired and rebuilt so that it can continue to perform its functions and we can avoid further damage.
How is the treatment type of a chipped tooth chosen at the dentist?
The decision on what to fill the chipped tooth with, whether root canal treatment will be necessary, and what methods of reconstruction are available at all, is made jointly by the dentist and the patient. The dentist can recognize a chipped tooth and assess the scale of damage. On this basis, a list of available options is presented and the patient chooses the one they would like to use according to their own criteria.
What is the risk of ignoring a chipped tooth?
At best, not attending to a chipped tooth will mean pain, irritation of the tongue and mucosa, or faster plaque build-up. Most often, however, this type of damage in the oral cavity has more serious consequences: from the risk of caries development to an increased risk of tooth fracture. Even seemingly minor chipping of the tooth can lead to the need to remove it in the long run. A chipped tooth is also always an aesthetic defect.
How much does it cost to repair a chipped tooth?
The costs of repairing chipped teeth depend on the extent of damage and the chosen method of repair. It can range from several hundred to several thousand zlotys.
Don’t worry, we’ll help
If you have noticed a chipped tooth in your or your child’s oral cavity, and you suspect that you may have mechanically damaged the teeth, please contact us. The dentist will carry out a visual inspection, a full diagnosis, and prepare an individual treatment plan, thanks to which you will get rid of the problem regardless of its extent.
