Fixing A Chipped Front Tooth
Accidents happen, there’s no way to guarantee you’ll never chip your tooth. There are, however, some things you can do to reduce the risk.
Chipped Front Tooth
28 November 2022
Chipped teeth are a common issue for many Australians. Not only do they pose a risk to your oral health if left untreated, but a chipped tooth can also affect your confidence and self-esteem to a large degree. At Innovative Dental, we offer you a range of simple, easy, and effective treatments to help with conditions like chipped or damaged teeth.
Common Causes Of Chipped Teeth
Your teeth are very hard. The enamel that forms their outer layer is actually the hardest substance in your body, capable of withstanding extreme force. However, that doesn’t mean that your teeth are completely indestructible. In fact, chipping your tooth is more common than you might think. All it takes is the right sort of impact at the right angle for these super-strong structures to take significant, permanent damage.
Common causes for tooth chipping include:
- An on-field impact or injury while playing a sport
- A trip, fall or physical accident involving your facial area
- Chronic teeth grinding (also known as bruxism)
- A pre-existing filling or other dental work compromising the tooth’s integrity
- Missing teeth or jaw issues causing your bite to be misaligned
- Tooth decay weakens the tooth
Treatments Available For You
While a small chip on the surface may not seem like that big a deal, it can lead to much larger problems. A chip of any sort means that your tooth’s protective coating is now compromised. This can allow bacteria and acids to enter into the grooves of your tooth, causing eventual decay of the area. Chipped teeth will often start to appear darker too, presenting as a prominent dark spot on your otherwise unblemished smile.
The treatment will — as is the case with many conditions — depend on the severity and location of the chip. A small chip will often only require dental bonding. This involves the application of a specialised resin to the area that will adhere to the tooth. The resin is matched to the existing tooth’s colour in order to produce the most seamless result.
If the chip is more severe, it may require the tooth to be crowned as well. As a permanent cap, the crown will sit on top of your tooth, providing it with the structural strength it needs to withstand any further damage. You can think of it as another layer of protection on top of your tooth. This is highly recommended in the case of your back teeth (molars) as they generally experience more force while eating.
How Can I Avoid Chipping My Tooth?
Accidents happen, there’s no way to guarantee you’ll never chip your tooth. There are, however, some things you can do to reduce the risk. These include:
- Trying to limit the number of hard foods (like candies) you consume. Ideally, eliminating these sorts of foods from your diet completely is the best situation.
- Wearing a nightguard to bed if you know that you’re grinding your teeth. If you’re not sure whether you’re a grinder or not, a simple assessment from your dentist will be able to tell you.
- Not using your teeth as a tool. We know it can be convenient to open up packaging (or even bottles!) with your teeth, but this puts them at severe risk of damage.
- Using protective equipment, like mouthguards, when playing contact sports. This easy solution can save you a lot of trouble in the future.
- Increasing your vitamin and mineral intake to strengthen your teeth. A healthy diet works wonders for your whole body!
Chipped Tooth Treatment At Innovative Dental
As is the case for many areas of our health — whether physical or mental — the best form of treatment is always prevention. Looking after your teeth will keep them strong and healthy, making them more resilient and harder to chip or damage. This means regular brushing, flossing and generally giving these vital parts of your body the attention they deserve. This also means making sure you don’t skip your dental checkups, or leave any issues that arise unaddressed.
To make an appointment with Innovative Dental Moonee Ponds call (03) 9346 8333 today.