Enamel, the tough outer layer of your teeth, is the hardest component in your mouth. Even though it is one of the strongest materials in the body, this does not imply that it is invincible; it does have its limitations. A chipped tooth could occur due to a hard impact or from severe wear and strain. Consequently, the tooth surface becomes jagged, which may be painful, uncomfortable, and disfiguring.
In another scenario, if your teeth have already been compromised by decay or parafunctional behaviors like clenching, they will be more vulnerable to chipping. Chipping a tooth is distinct from having a tooth entirely knocked out or seriously fractured, in which case you should visit your dentist right away to avoid further complications.
Chipped Tooth Treatment
The treatment for a chipped or fractured tooth depends on the damage. A dentist can usually fix a tooth with just a little amount of enamel missing in one office visit. The expense of repairing a seriously broken or damaged tooth may need more than one clinic visit. Following are some of the treatments:
A filling or bonding could be used to restore minor enamel damage. If the front tooth is damaged, the dentist could restore it using a tooth-colored composite resin. This easy operation, called bonding, generally needs no numbing. The dentist first etches the tooth’s surface with a particular gel or solvent. Then the glue, then the resin. The treatment involves the use of ultraviolet light to solidify the resin after molding it to fit your natural tooth.
Using a dental veneer, your dentist could restore the appearance of a chipped or cracked front tooth, making it seem healthy and faultless. Veneers are thin shells made of tooth-colored resin composite material or porcelain that is custom-made in a lab to meet your exact demands and specifications. They are then bonded to the surface of your existing tooth using a specific cement to complete the process.
Root canal therapy may be required if a significant section of the pulp is impacted or the chipped tooth causes considerable discomfort. This procedure preserves the tooth’s strong shell while removing the pulp. If the tooth’s remaining structure and support are sound, a root canal can be performed.
To safeguard the tooth, retain function, and enhance aesthetics, your dentist may file away part of the undamaged tooth and cover it with a crown. If the tooth injury is serious enough to expose the pulp, you risk pulp damage or infection. A root canal could be required (as mentioned before) to remove the dead or dying pulp. The dentist will then crown the tooth.
Is A Chipped Tooth A Dental Emergency?
A chipped tooth may not seem to be an emergency, but this cannot be stated about every chipped tooth situation since certain chipped teeth cases are serious and may necessitate immediate treatment. It is always preferable to treat a chipped tooth as soon as possible so that it does not have a chance to grow into something more serious. A chipped tooth as a dental emergency might involve the following:
-A serious fracture occurs when a considerable amount of the tooth is missing
-Unbearable dental pain
-There is bleeding that does not cease
If someone has any of the above symptoms or others that cause discomfort, they should see a dentist as soon as possible.
Can A Chipped Tooth Heal Itself?
When a tooth is chipped, it will not heal by itself. When compared to your bones, which have a large number of blood vessels, tooth enamel does not have a blood supply and is thus unable to heal itself when it is broken. The incapacity of our teeth to heal or reconstruct has a great deal to do with the structure of their enamel and dentine.
Our teeth begin to form in our mother’s womb throughout the first six months of the pregnancy. Contrary to common perception, our teeth are not made of bone. The enamel of the teeth is composed of calcium phosphate. It is often confused with bone because it needs calcium for robust and healthy development. However, since our teeth are not composed of living cells and blood vessels, they cannot grow and mend themselves in the same way that our bones can.
Can I Leave A Chipped Tooth Alone?
If you leave a chipped tooth alone without expert care, the damaged tooth is vulnerable to infection, worsening over time. This infection could even spread to the neck and head, creating a slew of health issues. You risk damaging the tooth’s nerve or forming an abscess, both of which are exceedingly detrimental to your health. A chipped tooth might also be life-threatening in certain rare cases. Although a chipped tooth might not seem to be serious at first, it is extremely dangerous to ignore it instead of obtaining expert assistance.
Some of the most typical consequences of keeping a chipped tooth untreated are as follows:
● Sensitivity towards temperature
● You could cut your tongue
● You run the risk of causing the tooth to fall out completely
How To Take Care Of A Chipped Tooth At Home
When it comes to taking care of a chipped tooth, there are several things you could do at home in an emergency while waiting for an appointment.
Warm salt water must be used to swish. This could assist in the removal of microorganisms.
Applying an ice pack to your cheek can help to reduce swelling even further. It is, however, never recommended to put the ice pack straight to your face. Confirm that there must be a barrier between the skin and the ice before proceeding.
Use an over-the-counter dental anesthetic to keep the region numb until the procedure is performed.
Take pain medication to help decrease inflammation and discomfort but only take just as prescribed by your doctor and only if your health permits it.
How Can You Prevent A Tooth Chipping?
Preventative measures are always better than curative measures. It is preferable to exercise caution and prevent having your teeth chipped, and you may do so in a variety of methods, including the ones listed below.
● The best technique is usually oral hygiene. Taking good care of your teeth and seeing your dentist regularly will make them stronger and less prone to decay.
● Also, you should be cautious while consuming hard meals. Avoid biting hard objects like hard sweets or ice.
● If you habitually bite your nails or chew on foreign objects to relieve tension, look for alternate solutions.
● If anyone participates in contact sports, always use protective mouth gear to prevent tooth damage.
Even if you take all measures, you might still chip a tooth. If this occurs, see your dentist at once to minimize more harm.
Conclusion
A chipped tooth is the most common type of dental injury. Generally, it does not cause severe discomfort and could be properly treated with several dental treatments. However, you should visit your dentist as quickly as possible to get your tooth smoothed out or filled, else you risk infection and additional dental damage. If left untreated, a chipped tooth may create a slew of issues. From tongue cuts to tooth loss, these issues are best prevented by attending your dentist as soon as you discover a chip, no matter how tiny. While you’re waiting for your dentist’s appointment, you could take care of some basic pain relief measures on your own to keep the discomfort at bay.
