Chipped tooth repair.
Even if the tooth enamel is an extremely hard and durable tissue, over time, it is very common that teeth can chip or break.
The enamel fracture can be repaired easily, and nowadays there are different materials available that have the same colour of the teeth that dentists use to reconstruct any part of the tooth. At the same time, a chipped tooth is something to be reckoned with, that requires an immediate visit to the dentist.
Broken tooth.
A tooth may chip for different reasons, such as for example cavities that weaken the tooth, or large, old amalgam fillings that don’t support the remaining enamel of the tooth. It is possible to broke a tooth because of a fall, receiving a blow to the face, or biting down on something hard.
Usually, minor tooth fractures don’t cause pain, and might not need any restoration, but if a large piece of the tooth breaks off, it can hurt and expose the tooth to harmful consequences.
The tooth can become much more sensitive to hot and cold, and also the nerve can be damaged.
When a tooth is chipped, we have to see a dentist as soon as possible, and in the meantime, we can take a generic painkiller, rinse the mouth with water and salt, eat soft foods and avoid chewing with the side of the chipped tooth.
Broken tooth repair.
Dental treatments to repair a chipped tooth are several; usually, the dentist uses a dental filling material to fill the hole or restore an old filling, but if the repair is to a front tooth or can be seen when you smile, your dentist will likely use a procedure called bonding, which uses a tooth-colored composite resin.
When a front tooth is severely chipped, dental veneers might be a good alternative. Veneers are thin layers of porcelain very used for cosmetic treatments; they are cemented to the external surface of the tooth and remodel the shape of the tooth in very natural way.
Dental crowns, or cups, are also porcelain covers for the teeth that shield the entire tooth. Crowns are more appropriate when a cracked tooth causes the loss of a large portion of the original tooth. They can correct the tooth shape and prevent further damage such as tooth decay and exposed nerves.
Finally, if the fracture causes the exposure of the pulp, there may be the risk of infection, which may require a root canal, while if the fracture is very serious and deep and also involves the root, dentists generally recommend to extract the root and the tooth and replace them with a dental implant.
Chipped tooth. Prevention.
To reduce the risk of chipping a tooth, you can, for example, wear a dental bite guard while playing sports, don’t grind you teeth, don’t crunch on ice chips or hard candies, and don’t use your teeth as a tool for opening things.
