A chipped tooth is a common dental issue. In most cases, it results from trauma. An accidental fall or a blow in the mouth leads to the problem although there can be other incidents behind as well. Even if you bite down a substance that is too hard you may have a chipped tooth. When a tooth is decayed or diseased it has more chances of getting chipped. A chip may even occur is a tooth is completely healthy and strong.
A chipped tooth is not a dental emergency unless and until –
•The patients experience unbearable pain or
•The innermost layers of the tooth are visible.
Even though most cases of chipped tooth are not a dental emergency yet you must get the problem treated and fixed without any unnecessary delay.
Treatment options for a dentist to fix a chipped tooth
Advances in modern dentistry prove helpful in treating chipped tooth cases. There are lots of options for a dentist these days to fix these issues. Depending on the type and level of injury your tooth has suffered and the overall condition of your oral health your dentist chooses the best treatment option for your chipped tooth.
A few options that dentists rely upon include the following –
Filling or bonding –
A dentist who repairs chipped front tooth in the UK at a reasonable cost says when the damage is minor filling is the best method in these cases. As an example suppose, a tiny piece of your tooth enamel has broken off from one of the front teeth. In that case, a dentist can rely on the same composite resin material that is used for tooth-colored fillings. First, the surface of the affected tooth is roughened by applying a specially formulated gel. In the next step, the tooth-colored resin is directly applied to the roughened surface of the tooth with the help of an adhesive agent. The tooth is then molded to bring it to the proper shape. Finally, the restored tooth is hardened using ultraviolet light. This procedure is painless and there is no need to numb your senses to dull the pain. Once the procedure finishes you walk out of the dentist’s office without any help.
Reattachment of tooth –
If a portion of the tooth has chipped off and you can collect that chipped piece then you should immediately rush to a dentist with it. Using some kind of adhesive or the other the dentist may be able to cement the broken fragment back in place. As a result the chipped tooth gets completely fixed. Remember, this a time dependent matter. If the cementing is done by the time the cells of the fragmented tooth portion are still alive only then this method works. Once the cells are dead this method will not work. In order to keep those cells alive little longer you can place the chipped portion in your mouth. The saliva in the mouth will help them to stay alive. But be careful not to swallow it. You can place it between the cheek and the gum to keep it safe. Alternatively you can drop the chipped tooth fragment in a cup of cold milk or cold water. But none of these methods will keep those cells alive for a long time. So you must act fast and see a dentist right away without any delay suggests a dentist who repairs chipped tooth at reasonable cost in London.
Dental crown –
A tooth could be too badly decayed for which filling it may not be possible. On the other hand a large portion of the tooth may break off. In both these cases a dental crown is an ideal solution to repair and restore the tooth. a dental crown is nothing but a prosthesis. It is made from strong and long lasting items like metal, porcelain or resin. It looks like a tooth but is hollow in the middle. So it is possible fit it over the remaining portion of a badly damaged tooth just like a cap. However some preparation is necessary to fix it over the tooth and make it look like a part of the natural tooth. In order to make sure the crown fits perfectly on the tooth your dentist has to take impressions of your mouth. Earlier this impression was taken as you bite down on a putty-like material. But now impressions are taken digitally which is more accurate, faster and more convenient. The impression of your teeth is then sent to a dental lab. There the crown is customised to fit perfectly on your tooth. This usually takes about a week or two although same-day crowns are also possible at some places.
Root canal treatment –
Suppose the chip of your tooth is so large that the inner pulp gets exposed, in that case, you have to undergo a root canal treatment explain dentists associated with the renowned Thousand Smiles dental practice. When the tooth pulp becomes exposed the nerves and blood vessels of the tooth are more likely to pick up bacterial infection. Root canal is an invasive procedure although you feel no pain in it. Patients are administered with local anaesthesia to dull the pain. The root of the tooth is cleaned and the compromised pulp is removed in the procedure. Then the tooth is sealed. It is important to note that a chipped tooth that has undergone for root canal is a little weaker than the rest. To reinforce it usually, dentists use dental crowns as a follow-up procedure.
Onlay –
An onlay is much like a dental filling. It extends over a portion of the surface of the tooth. Unlike a dental crown an onlay never extends over the entire tooth. An onlay too like a dental crown has to be custom-designed in a dental lab. This is how it differs from a dental filling. Once your onlay gets custom-designed in the dental lab then your dentist can cement it in place. Usually, an impression of the teeth is taken which is then sent to the lab. Your onlay is custom-designed based on that impression.
Veneer –
A dentist who repairs small chipped tooth at reasonable cost in the UK explains that a veneer is the exact solution when you have a very minor chip in a front tooth. the chip is so minor that instead of repairing the chip it is better to cover it up with veneer.
