It could happen to all of us, at some time in our lives.
Through sports, accidents, or inadvertent contact, you may be the recipient of a chipped tooth.
The important thing to remember is to not panic and to see your dentist as soon as possible to see what can be done for it.
There is a variety of options available to you, and once your dentist has assessed the damage, he can assist you in making the right decision.
Never Ignore a Chipped Tooth If you have a tooth that has been damaged, your next step should be to see your dentist as soon as you can.
Your tooth may be able to be repaired if taken care of immediately, and if you have the broken off pieces available, you should bring them with you, just in case.
Tooth extraction may be an option, but only if it not doing so will have a negative impact on the rest of your teeth.
Option One: Filing and Bonding If the tooth has taken minimal damage, the dentist may be able to file it down so that it appears normal once more.
You can also have it repaired through the process of dental bonding.
A matching resin is applied to your tooth, formed around it, and hardened, using a curing light.
The resin is then filed down to match the appearance of a natural tooth, and then polished to give it an authentic appearance.
Option Two: Porcelain Veneers If the chipping is more severe, your dentist can apply porcelain veneers to fit over the damage, and restore the tooth's natural appearance.
A porcelain veneer is a shell used to mask imperfections, and your original tooth will be filed down so that it will fit snugly.
The porcelain is bonded directly to the tooth for a durable and lasting fit.
Option Three: Crowns, Inlays and Onlays A badly chipped tooth that causes pain while eating or drinking could benefit from a crown being applied.
A crown covers your natural tooth, protecting it and restoring the natural appearance.
It could also be repaired with a customized inlay or onlay, depending on the extent of the damage.
An inlay acts just like a filling, and is placed inside the cusps of the tooth.
An onlay is more of a protective cover, and is often recommended to be used when your tooth requires more protection than a simple crown could provide.
Option Four: Extraction This option for repairing a chipped tooth is only exercised if the tooth is more damaged than originally thought, and if removing it would improve the general health of your teeth.
You can always replace the missing tooth with a bridge or dental implant, if need be.
A bridge consists of two crowns that will be placed on either side of the missing tooth.
An implant is a titanium peg that will act as the anchor for a fake tooth.
It is surgically placed into the jaw bone, and can be used later for a dental replacement tooth.
Through sports, accidents, or inadvertent contact, you may be the recipient of a chipped tooth.
The important thing to remember is to not panic and to see your dentist as soon as possible to see what can be done for it.
There is a variety of options available to you, and once your dentist has assessed the damage, he can assist you in making the right decision.
Never Ignore a Chipped Tooth If you have a tooth that has been damaged, your next step should be to see your dentist as soon as you can.
Your tooth may be able to be repaired if taken care of immediately, and if you have the broken off pieces available, you should bring them with you, just in case.
Tooth extraction may be an option, but only if it not doing so will have a negative impact on the rest of your teeth.
Option One: Filing and Bonding If the tooth has taken minimal damage, the dentist may be able to file it down so that it appears normal once more.
You can also have it repaired through the process of dental bonding.
A matching resin is applied to your tooth, formed around it, and hardened, using a curing light.
The resin is then filed down to match the appearance of a natural tooth, and then polished to give it an authentic appearance.
Option Two: Porcelain Veneers If the chipping is more severe, your dentist can apply porcelain veneers to fit over the damage, and restore the tooth's natural appearance.
A porcelain veneer is a shell used to mask imperfections, and your original tooth will be filed down so that it will fit snugly.
The porcelain is bonded directly to the tooth for a durable and lasting fit.
Option Three: Crowns, Inlays and Onlays A badly chipped tooth that causes pain while eating or drinking could benefit from a crown being applied.
A crown covers your natural tooth, protecting it and restoring the natural appearance.
It could also be repaired with a customized inlay or onlay, depending on the extent of the damage.
An inlay acts just like a filling, and is placed inside the cusps of the tooth.
An onlay is more of a protective cover, and is often recommended to be used when your tooth requires more protection than a simple crown could provide.
Option Four: Extraction This option for repairing a chipped tooth is only exercised if the tooth is more damaged than originally thought, and if removing it would improve the general health of your teeth.
You can always replace the missing tooth with a bridge or dental implant, if need be.
A bridge consists of two crowns that will be placed on either side of the missing tooth.
An implant is a titanium peg that will act as the anchor for a fake tooth.
It is surgically placed into the jaw bone, and can be used later for a dental replacement tooth.