Cosmetic Dentist in Painesville OH Discusses Why You Should Fix a Chipped Tooth

The enamel that covers your teeth is known to be one of the strongest substances in the entire human body. Still, that does not mean that your tooth enamel is completely invulnerable.

While enamel is strong, all it takes is a single blow, or simply biting into something the wrong way, and you can easily chip one of your pearly whites. Furthermore, any damage done to your tooth enamel is permanent and cannot be replaced.

In most cases, chipping or cracking a tooth will leave you with a jagged area in your mouth, which can often be sharp, painful and can cause more damage if left untreated. Our cosmetic dentist in Painesville OH wants our patients to learn more about chipped teeth, the next steps, and why it's important to treat.

What Can Cause Chipped Teeth?

Chipped teeth can be caused by any number of factors. However, they are mostly caused by a person biting into a hard substance such as candy or ice.

Aside from that, teeth can be chipped when a person experiences an accident, say a fall which causes trauma to their mouth.

Other common causes of chipped teeth include contact sports being played without a mouth guard and people who grind their teeth in their sleep.

Risk Factors

There are many factors that can put your teeth at risk of being chipped. Some of these factors may include the following.

· Bruxism – This is when a person consistently clenches their jaw or grinds their teeth. Over time, this constant grinding can wear away the enamel leaving your teeth at a greater risk of chipping.
· Acidic Foods – Acid producing foods such as coffee, wine, and fruit juices can break down enamel and weaken the integrity of your teeth.
· Tooth Decay – Tooth decay and cavities will also weaken the structure of a tooth.
· Poor Diet – People who do not consume a healthy diet are much likelier to chip or crack their teeth.

Treating a Chipped Tooth

There are many different approaches that your cosmetic dentist in Painesville OH can take when trying to determine how to treat or chipped or cracked tooth. Treatment will depend entirely on the location of the chipped tooth, as well as the severity.

In most cases, your dentist will be able to repair a broken or chipped tooth by using a simple procedure known as bonding. He or she will simply use a composite resin and “sculpt” the part of your tooth that has been broken off.

Another common treatment for a chipped tooth is for our dentist to install a dental crown. In this case, we’ll fix a tooth-shaped crown to the broken tooth, giving it the appearance of being a whole tooth.

In the most severe cases, you may have to undergo more intensive procedures to treat your chipped tooth. This may involve having the chipped tooth removed entirely and then replaced with an implant, bridge or another type of denture.

If you have any questions or would like to schedule an appointment at Erieview Dental, call our office today at (440) 357-1222.