Sometimes accidents happen. A rough fall on the stairs or a particularly hard candied apple may be all it takes to chip a tooth. Your first reaction may be to treat it as a cosmetic issue, which it certainly is, but chipped teeth can actually cause dental problems. They are more susceptible to hot and cold, can be more vulnerable to infection, and can cause you to inadvertently cut your tongue or cheek due to their ultra-sharp edges. Luckily, fixing a chipped tooth is pretty easy, thanks to the expertise of your local dentist.
What Can I Do about a Chipped Tooth?
First off, don’t worry too much. While a chipped tooth can be an unpleasant experience, it rarely causes any serious danger. Still, reacting quickly and correctly may help you restore your tooth! Visit the best cosmetic dentist Burbank has to treat any chipped tooth.
When You First Notice the Damage
In most cases, people notice a chipped tooth right away. In rarer cases where the chip is very small, you may not notice until you feel the tooth catching on your tongue, cheek, or lips. Your teeth should never be so sharp that you feel like you may cut yourself, so if your tooth is catching, you probably have a chip.
Once you have discovered a chip in your tooth, your first move should be to call your dentist. Do your best to describe the severity of the chip in realistic terms. You should also explain if you have experienced pain, swelling, or any other forms of discomfort. This will allow your dental office to gauge whether or not your case requires emergency care.
If your appointment is a few days or weeks out, then you need to find a temporary way to protect the rest of your mouth from the sharp edge of your chipped tooth. Placing dental wax over the chipped tooth is one of the more effective ways to provide your mouth with temporary protection. You may already be familiar with dental wax if you’ve worn bracketed braces, as it is often used to protect the inside of the lips from the brackets themselves. Fortunately, dental wax is easy to find. You can generally pick it up at any pharmacy.
During Your Dental Appointment
Your dentist’s first task will be to assess the condition of your tooth. If the chip is severe enough to undermine the integrity of the tooth, then you may need a dental crown to provide adequate support. Fortunately, most chips are relatively mild. In these cases, your dentist will aim to re-create the cosmetic appearance of the tooth and get rid of any sharp edges that could cause you injury. At this point there are two options: dental bonding and veneers.
Dental bonding is a very simple procedure. Your dentist will use a specially colored resin to match the color and shape of your tooth. To allow the resin to bond to your tooth, they will slightly roughen up the tooth’s surface using purposeful scoring before applying a bonding agent. Through your dentist’s expert application, dental bonding gives patients the seamless appearance of an undamaged tooth. For the best dental bonding Burbank can offer, visit Coastland Dental.
On the other hand, dental veneers are actually very thin porcelain shells the cover the entirety of tooth’s front-facing surface. Veneers are often appropriate for patients whose teeth have sustained more damage, as they are stronger than the hardened resin and more likely to provide the additional support your tooth might need. Unfortunately, each porcelain veneer is individually made for the patient based on the impressions taken at your dental office. That means that the process can be a little lengthier and more costly.
Considering Your Options
Ultimately, what you do to correct your chipped tooth is up to you, but make sure you’re making an informed decision that will positively affect your future health. To ensure that you’re choosing what is right for you, be open with your dentist about your concerns and listen carefully to their professional opinion. At the end of the day, your dentist just wants you to be healthy and smiling.