By one means or another, you have chipped a tooth. More than impacting your smile, chipped teeth can upset the entirety of your oral health. For more information on what you and your dentist can do about a chipped tooth, please continue reading, then contact one of our experienced general dentistry dentists located in Basking Ridge and Morristown, NJ, today.
What Is a Chipped Tooth?
A chipped tooth occurs when a part of the tooth’s enamel breaks off as a result of trauma, pressure, or weak tooth structure. While some chips are little more than a minor cosmetic inconvenience, others can expose deeper layers of the tooth, ultimately causing pain, sensitivity, and even an infection if left untreated.
A chipped tooth is one of the most common dental injuries. Depending on the severity of the chip, damage may only impact the enamel or extend deeper into the dentin or pulp of the tooth, which can cause pain and infection if not treated.
Quick Facts About Chipped Teeth
- A chipped tooth is a small fracture or missing piece of enamel
- Chips can happen from injuries, hard food, or tooth decay
- While some chips may only be cosmetic, others can leave the sensitive layers
- of your teeth exposed
- Untreated chips can result in pain and infections
- Dentists generally use bonding, fillings, or crowns to repair chipped teeth
How do you get a chipped tooth?
While the enamel on your teeth is relatively strong, teeth can chip for a multitude of reasons.
Common Causes of Chipped Teeth
- The impact of falling
- Chewing a hard piece of candy
- Being hit in the mouth
- Biting hard objects, like ice or pens
- Sudden changes in temperature that weaken enamel
- Tooth decay
- Bruxism, or nighttime teeth grinding
What Should You Do Immediately After Chipping a Tooth in New Jersey?
If you have suffered a chipped tooth as a result of an injury, biting something, or being hit by something, it’s in your best interest to seek a dental evaluation, even if the damage appears minor. Unfortunately, symptoms can develop over a few hours or days, so the earlier you can see a Somerset County dentist, the better.
Emergency Steps for a Chipped Tooth
- Gently rinse your mouth with warm water to clean the area
- Apply a cold compress to the affected area to reduce swelling
- Apply gentle pressure with sterile gauze to control bleeding
- Avoid chewing on the side of the mouth where the chipped tooth is
- Save any fragments of the tooth if possible
- Schedule a dental evaluation as soon as possible
Signs You Should See a Somerset County Dentist Immediately
- Sudden sensitivity to hot and cold foods
- Persistent pain or throbbing
- Sharp edges that irritate your gums, inside of your cheeks, or tongue
- Swelling around the chipped tooth
- Visible cracks extending into the tooth
How Do You Stop Your Teeth From Chipping?
Assuming it is not already too late to prevent, here is what you should do and should not do to stop your teeth from chipping:
Healthy habits to protect teeth:
- Reduce your sugar content
- Limit acidic foods and beverages
- Get treatment for your acid reflux
- Get treatment for teeth grinding or clenching
- Take in enough vitamins and minerals
- Wear a mouthguard during sports
- Visit your dentist for routine examinations and cleanings
Habits that may damage teeth:
- Chew ice or hard candy
- Open items with your teeth
- Bite your fingernails
- Ignoring symptoms of tooth decay or worn enamel
What Happens If You Do Not Treat A Chipped Tooth?
Without professional treatment, the broken tooth is susceptible to an infection that will only get worse over time. This infection can move to the neck and head, causing all sorts of health problems. While rare, it is possible for a chipped tooth to prove life-threatening. At a minimum, it may prove detrimental to your oral health, possibly even causing you to lose one or more of your teeth.
Potential Complications of Untreated Chipped Teeth
- Tooth infections caused by exposed inner layers of teeth
- Tooth decay developing around damaged areas
- Cracks spreading into the structure of your tooth
- Gum inflammation around the chipped tooth
- In severe cases, loss of the chipped tooth
How Does A Basking Ridge, New Jersey Dentist Treat Chipped Teeth?
While the discomforting symptoms may go away with a minor chip, chipped teeth do not heal on their own and require care from a dental professional.
If you have chipped off just a small piece of tooth enamel, your dentist may repair the damage with a filling. 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. Depending on the extent of the damage, your dentist may perform the repair in one office visit. A badly damaged or broken tooth may require a more lengthy and costly procedure.
Rest assured that the dental bonding procedure is relatively painless. Most likely, you will not even need pain relievers. However, you may experience some tooth sensitivity to heat and cold after the procedure. I
Common Dental Treatments for a Chipped Tooth
- Dental bonding using tooth-colored composite resin
- Dental fillings to restore small, damaged areas
- Dental veneers for the cosmetic restoration of front teeth
- Dental crowns to repair large structural damage
- Root canal therapy if the inner pulp of the tooth becomes infected
Contact The Dental Associates of Basking Ridge
If you have suffered a chipped tooth or are in need of any dental care, the dedicated and compassionate team at the Dental Associates of Basking Ridge are ready to care for you. We can help you protect your teeth. Contact us today to schedule an appointment with a member of our dedicated staff.
