Can A Chipped Tooth Be Fixed?

Can A Chipped Tooth Be Fixed? It hurts when you chip, break or crack a tooth. Teeth get damaged in many ways. The enamel that covers your teeth is quite hard. Yet, it has limits. The extent of the damage can be extensive or little depending on its condition and type of injury.

Unless the damage from your chipped tooth is a minor one, it can only be fixed by a dentist. In the meantime, protect your tooth to avoid further injury. There are things a dentist can do to fix your chipped tooth.

How to take care of the broken tooth:

If your tooth gets fractured, broken, or chipped, you need to visit your dentist as early as possible. Or else, it can cause further damage and become infected. And, chances are that you may lose your tooth. Before visiting the dentist, here are some self-care measures you should try.

• If there is a pain in the tooth, take a suitable over-the-counter pain reliever. Prepare salt water solution and rinse your mouth with it

• If you need to eat, avoid biting down on the broken tooth and eat soft foods

Repair methods for a chipped tooth:

Treatment for a broken tooth depends on the extent of damage done. Your tooth gets fixed on a single visit if a small part of the enamel broke off. But, badly damaged teeth may need a costly and lengthy procedure. Here are the different repairing procedures for your broken tooth.

• Bonding or dental filling – If the broken tooth has encountered very little damage, a simple dental filling is all you need. If the broken piece belongs to a front tooth and can become exposed while smiling, a simple filling isn’t good. Your dentist will use a process called bonding. Your dentist etches the surface of the tooth with a gel or liquid and makes it rough. Bonding material has a shape like that of a normal tooth. Finally, to harden the bonding, the dentist uses ultraviolet light.

• Crown or dental cap – When a large piece breaks off, the dentist may grind away that part. Then it gets covered with a tooth-shaped cap or crown. Permanent crowns consist of metal, all-ceramic, all resin, or porcelain fused to metal. The strongest of them is all-metal crowns. Having a crown takes about 2 visits to your dentist’s place. Your dentist will examine the tooth in a detailed way before performing the procedure. A temporary crown will be set in your tooth in the beginning. And, on the final visit, you will have the permanent one.

• Dental veneers – If your front tooth gets chipped or broken, a dental veneer makes it healthy again. Dental veneers are a thin shell of resin composite material or tooth-colored porcelain. It covers the entire front part of your tooth with a much thicker section that replaces the chipped part. It is quite like a false nail that covers a fingernail. At the medical chamber, the dentist takes the impression of your tooth and sends it to the dental laboratory. Your dentist places the veneer on your tooth after applying a special cement on it. Using a special light your dentist activates the chemicals present in the cement. This way, the veneer gets positioned in its place.

• Root canal – When the chipped tooth is so large that it exposes the pulp, a root can therapy is a must. The center of your tooth contains the blood vessels and nerves. Bacteria from your mouth can enter the pulp and infect it. Pulp tissue needs to treat in time. Otherwise, it becomes infected and the tooth needs to get extracted. The entire process of root canal therapy includes removing the dead pulp, cleaning the root canal, and finally, sealing it.

Can A Chipped Tooth Be Fixed? – Conclusion:

It is painful to chip a tooth. But, many chips aren’t serious and needs little treatment. In the meantime, keep your mouth clean and protect your tongue from the sharp edge of the broken tooth with wax. Only the best way to protect the health of your tooth is to visit a dentist.