Although the tooth enamel is the hardest mineralized tissue in the body, its strength has limits. Accidental falling, receiving a blow to the face, or biting on something hard, especially when a tooth already has some cavity or large filling, it can cause a chipped or broken tooth. If you have broken tooth, go see your dentist as soon as possible for chipped tooth repair.
How to Care for a Chipped or Broken Tooth?
Try the following self-care measures before seeing a dentist to fix a chipped tooth:
- the tooth is painful, take paracetamol or another pain reliever.
- If you must eat, eat soft foods and avoid biting down on the broken tooth.
Treatment for repairing a chipped tooth will depend on how severely it is damaged. If only a small piece of enamel broke off, the filling can normally be done in just one visit. A severely damaged or broken tooth may require more visits and expensive procedure. Here are some procedures your dentist may use to fix a chipped tooth.
If you have chipped a small piece of tooth off, your dentist may restore it with a tooth-colour or metal-free filling.
If a large piece of tooth broke off or had large cavity, the dentist will remove all the decay and shape the tooth covering it with a crown, or custom tooth cap, made to protect the tooth and improve its appearance. Permanent crowns can be made from metal, metal-ceramic, all resin, or all ceramic. Getting a crown done usually takes two visits to the dental clinic. During the first visit, your dentist will take X-rays and thorough exam to check the roots and surrounding bone. If no further problems are detected, the dentist will numb the tooth and surrounding gum and then shape down the remaining tooth to make space for a crown. Then, your dentist will scan or use a putty-like material to make an impression of the prepared tooth as well as the opposing arch. The scan or impressions are sent to a lab for making a definitive crown. Temporary crown will be cemented on your tooth while the crown is being made. During the second visit, typically 3-7 days later, your dentist will remove the temporary crown and check the fit of the definitive crown before permanently cementing it. Our dental complex have special digital milling technology that enables us to make a one-day crown within couple hours.
If a front tooth is broken, a veneer can be an attractive option for chipped tooth repair. A veneer is a thin shell of tooth-colored porcelain or resin composite material that covers the front part of the tooth.
If a tooth chip is deep enough to expose the pulp, the center of the tooth containing nerves and blood vessels. Bacteria from the mouth can get inside and infect the pulp. Root canal treatment involves removing the dead pulp, cleaning the root canal, and then sealing it.Root canal treatment is performed by endodontists. In most cases, the remaining tooth must be covered with a crown to protect the weakened tooth.
With any questions on different methods of chipped tooth repair, or to schedule an appointment to fix a chipped tooth in Bangkok, contact Global Dental Complex today.
