What to Do With a Chipped Tooth? Options to Restore Your Smile

Learn what to do with a chipped tooth and if it necessitates a dental emergency. 

Is a Chipped Tooth a Dental Emergency? 

Dental emergencies for a chipped tooth depend on the severity of the chip. If the chip is minor, likely, your chipped tooth doesn’t require an emergency dentist, but you should visit your dentist as soon as possible to have the tooth restored.  

Dental emergencies for a cracked or fractured tooth depend on the size of the break and your level of discomfort. In most cases, these types of chipped teeth are also not a dental emergency but require attention to save the tooth from extraction. 

Severely cracked teeth and dental pain are considered dental emergencies and should be treated immediately to save the tooth and alleviate your discomfort.   

What to Do with a Chipped Tooth if You Can’t See an Emergency Dentist Immediately?  

If you cannot see your dentist immediately, take the following self-care measures: 

• Use an OTC pain reliever to dull the discomfort. 
• Rinse with a saline solution to prevent infection. 
• If the damaged tooth has a sharp or jagged edge, cover it with sugar-free chewing gum or dental wax to protect the soft tissues in your mouth. 
• Eat a non-chew diet, so you don’t bite down on the damaged tooth. 

How to Repair a Chipped Tooth?

Treatment for a chipped tooth depends on the severity of the damage. If the damage is minor, your dentist can restore your tooth in a single dental appointment. However, a more severe fracture or broken tooth may require multiple visits to repair your smile. 

Cosmetic bonding and filling

Dental bonding is a non-invasive and quick way to treat a small chip in a front tooth. Your dentist etches the tooth’s surface with a special gel, then applies an adhesive followed by tooth-coloured composite resin. After shaping the resin to match your existing tooth structure, the resin is hardened with a UV light and polished.    

Your dentist restores the tooth’s appearance and function with a dental filling for a small chip on a premolar or molar. 

Dental veneer

Another standard cosmetic procedure for a minor chip in a front tooth is a dental veneer. This thin tooth-coloured porcelain or composite material shell is applied to your tooth to disguise the flaw. For traditional lab veneers, your dentist removes a small amount of enamel and takes impressions of your tooth so your custom veneer can be fabricated at an off-site lab.  

You will be fitted with a temporary veneer to protect your tooth. When you revisit your dentist, they remove your temporary veneer and place the customised one. 

At Gordon Family Dental, we can fabricate your dental veneers in a single appointment using CEREC digital technology, so you spend less time in the dental chair and leave the surgery with an improved smile. 

Dental crown  

A dental crown is the most common way to repair a larger chip or fracture. If the damage extends to the dental pulp, you may need root canal therapy first. 

For a traditional crown, your dentist preps your tooth by removing any broken fragments and shaping the tooth so it fits inside the crown. Impressions are taken of the tooth so your custom dental crown can be fabricated. You will be fitted with a temporary crown.   

The temporary crown is replaced with the permanent one at your next visit, restoring the tooth’s integrity, appearance, and functionality.   

At Gordon Family Dental, we know your time is valuable, so we offer same-day crowns using cutting-edge CEREC technology to precisely measure and design your customised crown. 

Restore Your Smile in a Single Visit to Gordon Family Dental 

At Gordon Family Dental, our skilled dentists offer a comprehensive range of restorative dental treatments to repair a chipped tooth. If you have a chipped tooth and are concerned that it may be a dental emergency, contact our practice at (02) 9159 6163 for assistance to find out what to do with a chipped tooth and schedule an appointment. 

Note: Any surgical or invasive procedure carries risks. Before proceeding, you should seek a second opinion from an appropriately qualified health practitioner.

References

Cracked tooth diagnosis and treatment: An alternative paradigm
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4439863/