Your tooth’s enamel protects its shape and structure, but when accidents happen, it’s possible to chip a tooth. Besides making you self-conscious about your smile, chipped teeth, if left untreated, can develop into more severe issues, like a bacterial infection or tooth loss.
If you’re googling ‘how to fix a chipped tooth?’ there are several practical solutions. Depending on the size of the chip, the location of the broken tooth, and the condition of your oral health, your dentist may recommend one of several dental restorations, from porcelain veneers for your front tooth to cosmetic dental bonding.
Diagnosing a Chipped Tooth
If your tooth chip is due to trauma or an accident, you’re likely to notice the issue immediately. However, sometimes chipped or broken teeth are more subtle, and you might not realise the damage has occurred until hours or days later.
If you notice any of the following symptoms, you may have a broken or chipped tooth.
- A sharp or jagged edge when you run your tongue along your teeth
- Irritation or discomfort on the gum line surrounding a tooth
- Small scratches or cuts on your tongue
- Discomfort when chewing or biting
- Sudden sensitivity to hot or cold food and drinks
At Elevate Dental, our experienced dentists know how fix a chipped or cracked tooth, whether the damage is minor or severe. We provide a range of solutions to restore cracked teeth aesthetically and functionally, including bonding, fillings, root canals, dental crowns and dental veneers.
How to Fix a Chipped Tooth?
The first step in treating a chipped or broken tooth is a dental consultation. Without proper treatment, a chipped tooth may be vulnerable to infection. Bacteria from food build-up can seep into the gap, causing an infection in the tooth’s pulp. If this occurs, you’ll require restorative dental treatment before having a cosmetic procedure.
Dental Veneers
Dental veneers are a popular cosmetic solution for creating smooth and natural-looking teeth. Although they are unsuitable for restoring extensive damage, dental veneers can renew the appearance of a remaining tooth with a minor chip.
Dental veneers are thin, tooth-coloured, custom-made shells that attach to the front surface of your original tooth. Since they are permanently bonded to the teeth, dental veneers can be formed and smoothed to match your natural teeth.
Dental veneers can mask stains, lengthen a short tooth and hide a small gap as well as repair your chip.
Porcelain veneers
At Elevate Dental, we offer porcelain veneers. Porcelain dental restorations look and feel like natural teeth. After bonding and reshaping, porcelain veneers are undetectable from your existing healthy teeth, making them an excellent option to fix chips, in particular, on a front tooth.
Another critical advantage of porcelain veneers is longevity. Multiple studies have found that porcelain veneers last at least a decade or more. Another study suggested that they may even last for up to 20 years in patients who don’t smoke or suffer from bruxism (teeth grinding).
The procedure
We take X-rays of your teeth and gums during your initial examination to get a more accurate assessment of your oral health. If there are no signs of gum disease, tooth decay, or infection, your dentist can begin the procedure.
We take impressions of your chipped tooth to create custom veneers. They typically take one to two weeks to fabricate at an offsite dental laboratory.
The next step is to shape and polish the chipped tooth, preparing it for the veneer. This process involves removing a layer of enamel from your tooth’s surface. Since porcelain veneers are so thin, we’ll only shave off around a ½ millimetre of your natural tooth.
Once your custom dental veneers have been fabricated, we can complete the restoration of your tooth structure. Your dentist etches the tooth’s surface, preparing it for the dental cement. One side of the veneer is covered with this cement before being positioned carefully over your tooth. We then use a special dental light to accelerate the hardening process of our dental veneer solutions.
Our porcelain veneers require no special maintenance. Brushing, flossing, and regular checkups help keep your new tooth in excellent condition.
How to Fix a Chipped Tooth: Other Effective Solutions
Although dental veneers are one of the most popular cosmetic dental implant solutions for how to fix a chipped tooth, they aren’t always the best option. Other solutions for a chipped tooth include:
Dental bonding
Dental bonding is an excellent non-invasive option for minor chips, where a full tooth restoration isn’t necessary. This process involves using a composite resin to fill the gap left from a chip. Your dentist roughens the area using an etching liquid. The bonding resin is then applied to the tooth before being moulded and shaped to align with your bite and smile.
A special light is used to harden the material. The final step is to trim and polish the resin, ensuring it blends with your natural teeth.
Root canal treatment
If your dental pulp becomes infected, you’ll need root canal treatment to remove the diseased tissue. In this procedure, your dentist makes a small incision in the tooth to access the infected root canal area.
Using endodontic files, your dentist movies before disinfecting and sealing the tooth. You will be given a temporary filling.
Once the inflammation subsides, you will return to your dentist to get a permanent filling or a dental crown to fully restore the tooth’s function and appearance.
Dental crown
If a large portion of your tooth or entire tooth is damaged, it may not be salvageable with a cosmetic procedure. A dental crown is a tooth-shaped cap that fits over a damaged tooth, protecting it from further harm. The tooth-coloured dental crown is cemented in place for a custom fit and a seamless smile.
Repair Your Chipped Tooth With Elevate Dental
If you experience sensitivity or discomfort in one of your teeth, don’t ignore it – see a dentist soon as possible! Even a small chip can develop into a severe issue if left untreated. At Elevate Dental, we can restore your smile and renew your confidence if you experience a chipped or broken tooth. The cracked tooth repair solution depends on the size of the chip, its location in your mouth and your smile goals.
Dental veneers and dental crowns’ versatility not only repair your chipped tooth but can also enhance your smile. Contact us to book your tooth repair or arrange a consultation to learn how we can improve your smile and boost your confidence.
Note: Any surgical or invasive procedure carries risks. Before proceeding, you should see a different dentist for a second opinion from an appropriately qualified health practitioner.
References
Teeth grinding
https://www.teeth.org.au/teeth-grinding
Chipped Tooth
https://www.healthline.com/health/chipped-tooth#symptoms
The Success of Dental Veneers According To Preparation Design and Material Type
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6311473/
Clinical performance of porcelain laminate veneers for up to 20 years
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22259802/
Repairing a Chipped or Broken Tooth
https://www.webmd.com/oral-health/guide/repairing-a-chipped-or-broken-tooth
