How to Fix A Chipped Tooth

dentist fixing teeth

Have you chipped a tooth and want to know how to fix it? Since chipped teeth involve serious damage to your tooth, we recommend contacting your dentist immediately to see how they can repair your tooth. Explore this blog post to learn about the causes of a chipped tooth and how Keowee Family Dentistry can restore your teeth. 

What is A Chipped Tooth? 

A chipped tooth occurs when a piece of your tooth separates from the rest of the tooth. The enamel is the part of the tooth that comes off when the tooth experiences damage. Depending on how quickly you fix the tooth, you might also see the root of the tooth change color or become infected.  

What’s the Difference Between a Chipped Tooth and a Cracked Tooth? 

A cracked tooth might be less severe than a chipped tooth because the damage could be confined to the enamel instead of having an entire piece of a chipped tooth missing. However, cracked teeth can still impact the root of the teeth. 

What Causes A Chipped Tooth? 

Here are a few causes of cracked teeth: 

Teeth Grinding

If you suffer from TMJ disease or grind your teeth in your sleep, you are prone to chipping your teeth.

Biting On Hard Food

When you bite too hard on food, candy, or ice, the stress on your tooth can cause them to chip. 

Sports Injuries

Most sports involve objects, such as soccer balls or basketballs, moving rapidly around people. Therefore, sports injuries can cause chipped teeth, especially if the player was not wearing a helmet. That’s why many sports organizations recommend a mouth guard to avoid any permanent teeth damage. 

Can You Prevent Chipped Teeth? 

Accidents happen, and you rarely expect to chip your teeth. However, there are a few things that you can do to prevent tooth trauma. In addition to wearing a mouth guard, here are a few things that can strengthen your enamel and improve tooth health: 

  • If you drink alcohol, drink moderately instead of excessively. 
  • Limit your sugar intake. 
  • Avoid foods that are high in acid. 

What To Do When You Chip A Tooth? 

Chipped teeth need professional dental help to heal unless the damage is minimal. Call Keowee Family Dentistry immediately to see if you can visit the office for an emergency repair. 

If you cannot see us immediately, clean your mouth and teeth promptly with warm water. Also, try to locate the missing part of your tooth because your dentist may use it to restore your tooth. 

How Does A Dentist Fix A Chipped Tooth? 

Thankfully, there are a few things that we can do to fix a chipped tooth: 

Root Canal

We’ll take every step to see how we can repair your tooth without conducting a root canal. However, if your teeth experience severe damage, you might need a root canal to stop the infection from spreading further. 

Bonding

We can use bonding to reattach the missing part of the tooth to the remainder of the tooth. 

Crowns

If we cannot reattach the chip from your tooth, we can create a crown to help blend in your tooth repair. 

Contact Us Today If You Need Tooth Repair

Don’t wait to fix your broken tooth! Call us today so we can learn more about the incident and see how we can restore your teeth. Or, you can schedule an appointment online at your convenience.