What to Do When You Get a Chipped Tooth
Emergencies never come with notification. When any accident occurs, you are never prepared before. However, taking the right decision by keeping your nerve strong is very important. Getting a tooth fracture is also one of such emergencies that would require wise and appropriate decision. It is nothing unusual to get your tooth chipped. But, the outcome of such accidents may vary on the type of tooth that is impacted. No matter what tooth is affected, you will need to contact an emergency dentist when you encounter such an accident.
Chipped tooth can take place due to a lot of reasons. According to American Association of Endodontists, these types of injuries are common and prevalent from a long time. Although most of the people think that eating hard food is the only reason behind chipped tooth, but that is not always right. These accidents can also take place due to severe cavities, brittle fillings, untreated previous injuries and more. Let us have a look to learn what next you need to do after your tooth is chipped.
What Steps to Be Taken?
If any pieces of your broken tooth come out, you should collect the pieces to soak them into saline water or milk immediately. This will help you preserve the pieces unless you contact an emergency dentist.
If excessive bleeding takes place at that time, you can place ice, or use gauze to keep the blood vessels closed and let the blood to form clot. Apply pressure unless the bleeding stops.
Repair Options for Chipped Tooth
Small Break Repair
The repair process of the chipped tooth depends on the type of breakage. If the chip is small, then it would not be considered as a dental emergency. These types of accidents can be treated with dental bonding. The tooth can be reshaped into the natural state with the help of a tooth-colored material.
However, this is not a permanent solution as with time it can decay with normal eating habits and daily usage. Consult your emergency dentist to know what treatment options you want to go for.
Large Break Repair
A large chip or breakage will need a thorough treatment. You have to go to the dentist immediately and find out whether you need to go for a total implant of the tooth. If the crack gets into the gum line, you will have to extract the tooth from the root.
If the cases is more serious, a simple cap can be required to keep the tooth save from further damage. However, let your emergency dentist decide the rest.
You will not be sure about the intensity of the chip, unless you talk to a certified emergency dentist. Book your schedule with Demsy Dental in OKC.
Disclaimer: This content is not a professional dental or medical advice and does not imply a relationship between patient and care provider or the doctors.