At No Gaps Dental, we understand that dental emergencies can’t wait. Our skilled dental professionals provide you with high-quality and compassionate emergency dental care. We ensure you have peace of mind when you are most anxious about your oral health.
A typical dental emergency encountered at No Gaps Dental is a chipped tooth. A chipped tooth can range in severity, so contact us to find out if you need an emergency dentist and learn how to fix a chipped tooth and restore your smile.
If you are not experiencing dental pain but still have a dental issue like a minor chip, call us as soon as possible so we can repair the damaged tooth. Untreated dental problems can result in tooth decay, gum disease, and a dental emergency, elevating your risk for other health issues like diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
What Causes a Chipped Tooth?
Teeth can chip, fracture, crack or even break for various reasons, including:
- If you fall on your face
- Receive a blow to the face
- Have multiple restorations to a single tooth
- Bite down on something hard like ice or nuts
- Grind or clench your teeth (bruxism)
- Use your teeth to open packaging or chew non-food objects
Minor chips are not a dental emergency, but if you are in pain, bleeding, or the tooth is split, contact a No Gaps Dental emergency dentist.
Diagnosing a Chipped Tooth
Determining whether you have a chipped or broken tooth is simple.
Usually, there’s a piece missing, and the area is jagged or sharp. Depending on the chip’s depth, you may also experience some pain.
You will feel the gap or jagged edge if you run your tongue or finger along the chip. Your tooth may also be sensitive to hot and cold food and drinks and spicy or sour food.
If you have severely cracked your tooth and are in pain, call an emergency dentist at one of our No Gaps Dental locations to have your tooth evaluated and treated.
What Should You Do if You Have a Chipped Tooth?
If you have a chipped tooth and don’t know if it is a dental emergency, you should make an appointment with an emergency dentist as soon as possible. In the meantime, do the following to reduce your discomfort:
- Rinse your mouth to remove any small pieces of your tooth
- Floss gently to remove food debris that could aggravate the wound
- Apply dental wax or sugar-free chewing gum as a temporary bonding agent to prevent the jagged edges from harming the soft tissue in your mouth
- Take an over-the-counter pain reliever
- Ice the affected area intermittently on the outside of your cheek
How to Fix a Chipped Tooth?
Your No Gaps Dental emergency dentist will determine the type of chip you have before repairing your tooth. The following categories are types of cracked or chipped teeth:
- Craze lines: These tiny hairline cracks are virtually unnoticeable and are not considered a dental emergency. Teeth grinding, an uneven bite, chewing ice and nail-biting can cause craze lines. However, these superficial cracks can impact your oral health if they worsen and reach the dentin, so it is recommended that you book an appointment with your dentist to have the tooth assessed.
- Cusp breaks: If you have a large filling or multiple restorations to a tooth, a piece of your chewing surface may break off. In most cases, this is not considered a dental emergency unless the break extends to the gum line or dental pulp. Depending on the depth of the break, you may not feel any pain but will experience some temperature sensitivity and need to visit your dentist to have the tooth repaired.
- Cracked tooth: This type of chip extends vertically to beneath the gum line and needs to be looked at by an emergency dentist to save the tooth.
- Split tooth: When a tooth splits in two, it is a dental emergency. Your emergency dentist will remove the split tooth and discuss your options for replacement.
How to Fix a Chipped Tooth: Cosmetic Bonding
Dental bonding is the most common treatment for a superficial chip. This non-invasive procedure entails etching the tooth surface and applying a tooth-coloured composite resin that matches your existing tooth.
How to Fix a Chipped Tooth: Dental Veneers
Dental veneers are a popular but irreversible treatment for chipped teeth. Your No Gaps dentist can install a single veneer or several to create a cohesive look and upgrade your smile. These thin tooth-coloured shells are cemented to the front surface of the damaged tooth once it has been prepped.
Traditional dental veneers typically take two appointments: one to prep the tooth and another to install the veneers. However, at No Gaps Dental, we offer CEREC veneers created on-site using CAD/CAM technology. This allows you to restore your smile with veneers in a single session.
How to Fix a Chipped Tooth: Dental Crowns
When you experience a significant loss of a tooth’s structure, dental crowns cover the remaining tooth above the gum line, restoring its strength, function and appearance.
At No Gaps Dental, we offer CEREC same-day tooth-coloured crowns so you can leave our practice with a fully restored smile in a single visit.
How to Fix a Chipped Tooth: Dental Fillings
Tooth-coloured composite resin fillings can restore a tooth with minor damage. Indirect fillings (inlays and onlays) are usually recommended to repair large chips that don’t require a dental crown. They are typically prescribed for fractured cusps.
How to Fix a Chipped Tooth: Root Canal Treatment
If the chip or crack is severe and extends below the gum line, it is considered a dental emergency. You need to see an emergency dentist as soon as possible to have the tooth treated.
Your emergency dentist may perform root canal therapy to save the tooth from extraction. This involves removing the dental pulp from the tooth root and disinfecting and resealing it. In most cases, your tooth needs a dental crown to restore its functionality.
If the tooth cannot be saved, it will be removed and replaced with a dental implant or dental bridge.
Don’t Delay! Arrange Your Appointment Today
A chipped tooth can be much more than a cosmetic defect, so it is important not to postpone treatment. Waiting too long can allow the chip to worsen or more chips to form, resulting in an infection and damaging the tooth beyond repair.
For your convenience, we have 15 No Gaps Dental locations around Sydney, so contact us on (02) 8007 6727 today to book your appointment.
Note: Any surgical or invasive procedure carries risks. Before proceeding, you should seek a second opinion from an appropriately qualified health practitioner.
References
Does periodontal disease cause type 2 diabetes?
https://www.healio.com/news/endocrinology/20120325/does-periodontal-disease-cause-type-2-diabetes
Periodontal Disease and Coronary Heart Disease Incidence: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2596495/