5 Tips What to Do if Your Tooth Has Chipped or Broken

A chipped tooth is a big problem. Imagine you’re eating your favorite food, let’s say nuts or chocolate, and with another bite suddenly part of your tooth comes off. If it has ever happened to you, you already know what to do in this situation, but if it hasn’t, we will provide a few tips on what to do in these circumstances. Here are a few ways in which this issue can be handled.

The first thing you should do is call your dentist in NYC to schedule an appointment. Do not delay your visit to the dentist’s, as even a tiny chip in the tooth may be dangerous. Chipped enamel may result in a sharp edge and you may cut your tongue and cheeks. Furthermore, it’s easy for bacteria to start spreading there and it can lead to infection. To prevent that, rinse your mouth with salt water. It is not something that works all the time, but it’s a good safety measure. A tooth cracked in half can be very painful to handle, so it might be a good idea to take a pain reliever. If an edge of the damaged tooth is sharp, you can apply chewing gum (make sure it’s sugar-free) to it to preempt cuts. Your appointment with the dentist might be a long time away, and when it’s time for lunch or dinner, feel free to eat, just make sure the food is soft enough and don’t bite down on the broken tooth. Anyway, that’s pretty much all you can do at home to treat a chipped tooth.

Chipped Tooth Treatment Methods

When you arrive at the dentist’s, it will be clear what treatment you need. It will depend on the severity of the damage. The simplest procedure is called filling. If there’s a small chip in your tooth, the dentist may fill the broken part in with a special gel. Some may think that if they have a chipped molar, it might require special treatment. In reality, if you haven’t postponed your visit to the dentist for weeks, there should be no sign of infection. The dentist will give your tooth a clean to get rid of bacteria and go on with the treatment. A tiny chip in the tooth might not be dangerous at all, many people live for weeks and months with it without realizing that a part of their tooth is missing. However, only a professional dentist can decide if the damage is severe or not, so if you have a chipped tooth, don’t wait and contact your dentist.

Another possible chipped tooth treatment is called bonding. It’s often used when you have a chipped front tooth. To do this, the dentist applies a special gel to the tooth, followed by an adhesive, and then applies the resin. They give the resin the shape of your original tooth and harden it with UV light. The procedure wouldn’t be too different if you have a chipped bottom tooth. The dentist would take the same steps. In the end, the repaired tooth looks just like your original tooth because the applied resin is modified to match your teeth color. There are a few people who think that your “new” tooth will not survive for long and that you might need to redo this procedure in the future. We can assure you that the repaired tooth is just like the natural one. The adhesive material is very stiff and the resin itself doesn’t lose its’ shape over time.

There are more possible chipped front tooth treatment techniques. Depending on the severity of the damage, the dentist can offer you dental veneers. You might need more than one visit to the dentist if you go with this option because veneers are custom-made for each client. Everyone has a different shape of teeth and it requires veneers to be made exclusively for the patient. They are produced with a special composite resin or even porcelain, and then applied to your existing teeth with the help of an adhesive. It’s important to add that dental veneers are becoming more and more popular, especially because many celebrities chose to have them. If you want to install veneers, too, you need to consult with your dentist because, unfortunately, they are not suitable for everyone.

The next broken tooth treatment method might seem a bit over-the-top, but it may be the only way to go. It’s installing a dental cap or crown. If a large part of your tooth has broken, the most sensible way for the dentist to fix your chipped tooth might be removing the remains of the broken molar and replacing it with a dental crown. He may also remove only a part of it, but enough for the dental cap to be put in place. If you have damaged your tooth so hard that the pulp became exposed, you might need a root canal therapy to get rid of the infection. This procedure is usually done with an anesthetic. It could be very painful without one.

Tips What to Do if Your Tooth Has Chipped

Always remember that the first thing you should do is schedule an appointment with your dentist. Now let’s round up everything else and put it into just five simple tips:

• Before you go to the dentist, rinse your mouth with salt water to prevent infection and apply sugarless chewing gum to the chipped tooth if it is too sharp. If you need to eat, go ahead, but try to eat something soft and don’t bite down on the damaged tooth. If the pain is too hard, take a pain reliever. Be aware of the contraindications, though.
• A small chip in the tooth may require a filling. It is a rather easy procedure and it may not even require an anesthetic. The dentist will fill your tooth with a special gel and it will look exactly like the original one.
• Chipped front tooth may look like a huge issue at first, but it can be quickly solved using a method called bonding. Essentially, the dentist bonds the existing tooth to a special resin with an adhesive. The resin is given the shape of your tooth and then hardened by ultraviolet light.
• Dental veneers are an easy way to make your smile look better. It is expensive though. However, the vast majority of patients who have decided to install veneers are happy with their decision. It is costly, but they say it’s worth it.
• If the tooth is cracked in half and/or the pulp is exposed, a possible way of handling it could be a dental cap or crown. The dentist may remove the tooth altogether and apply a dental crown to protect the root canal. If the pulp of your tooth was exposed, it may require root canal therapy.

Always remember that the first thing you should do when your tooth has chipped or broken is call the dentist, especially if it hurts a lot. We hope you’ll never need these tips, but it is good to be prepared!