One of the most common dental emergencies is a cracked or chipped tooth. After something happens to chip your tooth, you don’t have to keep it that way and accept it. Dentists now have several surgical and cosmetic options designed to restore and repair a chipped tooth. By reaching out to your dentist at Lovett Dental Beaumont by calling 409-924-8100, you can learn about the numerous options available to you.
When you lose, crack, or chip a tooth, there are some basic steps to take before you contact your dentist. First, if possible, grab the broken tooth fragment by the crown and drop it into a glass of milk. This will preserve the tooth fragment and prevent further damage to it, so your dentist might be able to reattach it. Next, cover the crack on the tooth in your mouth with dental wax. If you haven’t access to dental wax, try to cover the tooth with a damp gauze and avoid eating or drinking until you see your dentist. If you experience any discomfort before your appointment at Lovett Dental Beaumont, you can reduce it with a pain reliever.
10 Methods for Treating a Chipped Tooth
Your dentist at Lovett Dental Beaumont has numerous approaches they can take to help patients deal with a chipped or cracked tooth:
- Reattachment: In some cases, we may be able to reattach the missing portion of a chipped tooth by using a dental epoxy. This is a very cost-effective treatment options patients prefer because it’s convenient and noninvasive.
- Re-Shaping: A reshaping treatment is an option only if you have a small chip on your tooth. If you qualify for this treatment, we’ll fix your tooth by reshaping, smoothing, and polishing it.
- Filling: For a very noticeable chip on a tooth, we often correct this flaw with a filling. A dental filling procedure isn’t excruciating, and it’s usually recommended when the dentist can’t reattach the missing tooth fragment.
- Dental Bonding: Bonding is a treatment method that involves a composite resin. When the resin sets, it bonds to a tooth. Following this procedure, the results look great because the resin is always made to match an existing tooth’s tone. This type of dental treatment isn’t done quickly since it requires adhesion and hardening methods. Etching techniques help to roughen the outer tooth layer, and they activate the adhesion process. To harden the composite, the resin must set underneath an ultraviolet light.
- Veneers: A dental veneer is an effective treatment for a chipped front tooth. If you need this treatment, we’ll smooth away a small area on your tooth to get an impression. While you’re waiting for the permanent veneer, you’ll get a temporary option.
- Onlay: An onlay is a treatment option for a chipped molar. It’s usually made of gold or porcelain. To create an onlay, a dental technician must implement key procedures in a lab.
- Crown or Cap: When a break takes a huge chunk of a tooth away, a crown or cap can help. No one will notice the chip once this treatment is complete because the crown or cap completely conceals the broken enamel.
- Root Canal: If an injury has damaged areas of your tooth’s root or pulp, you’ll need a root canal. This particular treatment has a high success rate. We usually recommend it when we discover root or pulp damage during an exam or in an X-ray.
- Implant or Tooth Splint: A dental implant is an outpatient surgical procedure done with anesthesia where a tooth is extracted and replaced. You can get a tooth splint only if we’re able to bond your chipped tooth to a tooth next to it. When this treatment is complete, the gum tissue and bones around the chipped tooth will begin to heal.
- Extraction: In situations where your dentist can’t repair a tooth, then removal or extraction is necessary.
Discover How Lovett Dental Beaumont Can Treat a Chipped Tooth
If you crack or chip your tooth, you can fix it, and we can help. You can reach out to our office at 409-924-8100 and schedule an appointment or consultation. When you visit Lovett Dental Beaumont, we’ll walk you through all the available treatments, and we’ll help you pick the method that best suits your needs and budget.
