Most people have chipped a tooth at least once in their lifetime. Whether it was as a kid, or from an injury as an adult, most are familiar with the experience. When this occurs, it’s important to get immediate dental help to resolve the situation and find the best treatment option.
Bonding
If you have only chipped a small bit of your tooth, your dentist can fix the issue with a process called bonding. This is similar to the filling you’d receive if you had a cavity. In fact, it’s such a simple process that you rarely require numbing when getting a chipped tooth fixed this way. To fill the chipped area of your tooth, your dentist applies an adhesive material before filling the space with a tooth-colored composite resin. They then shape this resin to be the correct shape of your tooth before hardening the substance with an ultraviolet light. If you only need this type of fix, you can be in and out of your dentist’s office within an hour and back to normal again.
A Crown
Bonding is a great option for a small chip, but there are times when you may lose more of your tooth than can be fixed with simple bonding. If you chip a large section of your tooth, you can expose the nerve center of your tooth, and risk infection. If food or germs enter this area, you could develop a serious infection that could lead to much more serious issues. Dental crowns cover a broken tooth to protect it from further damage. A crown is essentially a replacement tooth that can cover up your broken or damaged tooth. To get a crown, you will likely need some numbing because it is a more serious procedure. Your tooth will be filed down to fit within the new crown, and the crown will be placed on top and cemented to your tooth.
Veneers
Whereas a dental crown covers the entirety of your tooth, a veneer is another cosmetic dental option that covers only the front. If you chip the front of your tooth and want to cover the area, a veneer could be a good option for you. Similar to a crown, your tooth is filed down just slightly to adhere better to the veneer. In this case, however, you get to keep more of your original tooth, but it only works if you still have a solid layer of enamel surrounding your tooth’s nerve center. If the chip is too big, a veneer wouldn’t be able to bond to your tooth and a crown would be the better option.
If you chip your tooth, no need to worry. It’s common enough that dentists have many options of ways to resolve the situation and get your teeth back to normal again. Consider which option is best for you and your circumstances, and be sure to see a dentist as quickly as possible after chipping your tooth.
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