Is A Chipped Tooth A Big Deal?

A chipped tooth can happen to anyone.  Playing sports, chewing on ice or hard candy, using your teeth to open something…all of these actions can potentially lead to a chipped or damaged tooth.

A small, painless chip may seem like a minor issue not worth dealing with, but here at Montgomery Dentistry we want you to take our word for it:  a chipped tooth is always worth looking into!

What are some of the concerns of having a chipped tooth?

When a tooth is chipped, even in a seemingly minor way, slight changes can be made in your chewing that causes the other teeth to overcompensate.  Even if no pain is felt at all due to the chip, it is always best to have it inspected by your dentist.

A tooth that is more deeply chipped, or even broken, is at risk for a potentially severe infection.  If the broken part of the tooth opens up to the pulp – the part of  the inner tooth filled with nerves and blood vessels – then bacteria have very easy access to your bloodstream.  This means that bacteria could travel in through the chipped or broken area, set up shop in the pulp, and eventually travel around your entire body via the blood vessels located deep inside your tooth.

A chipped tooth is always worth looking into!

What type of treatments are there for a chipped tooth?

Depending on the severity of the injury – minor chip all the way to broken tooth – there are a myriad of options for treatment.

For a  chip that is simply cosmetic in nature, your dentist can easily apply tooth-colored filling materials and have you home within a couple of hours.  Dental shaping (similar to sanding) is also a quick and easy way to shape up the sharp edge that a chip can create.

For more severe tooth injuries, your dentist will probably recommend a crown or a veneer.  Covering a broken tooth with a permanent, natural-looking cap ensures that you will remain healthy and pain-free.

Here at Montgomery Dentistry, we take your dental health very seriously.  If you ever have questions or concerns about a tooth injury, please don’t ever hesitate to call…no problem is too minor for us!

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