Chipping a tooth often happens with no warning. You're eating food, when all of the sudden you feel a crunch and then a crack, and you realize that you have chipped your tooth.
A chipped tooth can happen at any time and to anybody, no matter how young or old you are. It doesn't just happen when playing a sport or biting on pen caps, but often happens when eating food. In some instances, a chipped tooth can even cause you to experience a lot of pain. What do you do about it when it happens? Keep reading to find out.
What You Should Do Immediately After Chipping a Tooth
Once you realized you chipped the tooth, take some steps to prevent more damage from happening. Start by rinsing out your mouth using water, which will help clean out any food from the area. If there is bleeding, apply some pressure to the area. You can bite down on some gauze to sop up the blood.
Get in touch with your dentist and try to schedule an appointment. Depending on the tooth that was chipped and whether you are experiencing any pain, they may recommend for you to go to an emergency dentist and have the situation taken care of immediately.
Your local pharmacy should sell dental cement, which will help with sensitivity issues before your appointment. Until then, be cautious when eating anything so that you do not make the tooth even worse.
How the Tooth Is Repaired
Depending on the severity and location of the chipped tooth, there are several options to fix it. Small chips located in the rear of your mouth could be sanded, polished, and then coated using a sealant. This will prevent decay in places where the tooth enamel is thin. This is not an option if you no longer have any enamel though.
For serious chips where you have no enamel, the situation will most likely require a crown or a filling. Dental bonding may be an option if a portion of your tooth broke off and the root isn't exposed, but be aware that a root canal may be necessary for a very large crack.
Save the Tooth, If Possible
If you can actually recover the part of your tooth that broke off, you should save it. Keep the tooth moist by putting it in a glass of milk. The dentist may be able to bond the broken piece back to your tooth, but if that's not possible, all you will have wasted is a little bit of milk.
For more info about fixing a chipped tooth, speak to your dentist. If you don't currently have a dentist, you can find one by visiting sites like http://www.nwidentist.com/.
Share1 December 2016
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