You can still brush a broken tooth, but you should be gentle and very careful while doing so. Brushing too hard could cause pain or further damage to the tooth, especially if the nerves on the inside of the tooth are exposed. Flossing around a damaged tooth may help to reduce pain or pressure on the broken tooth.
Always play it safe
Although it may appear to you that just a tiny piece of tooth has been lost; with closer examination, it is possible that more of the enamel may have cracked with it. If left untreated, this could allow bacteria to enter the tooth through the cracked enamel and lead to infection and decay.
You should be rinsing your mouth with warm water if you have broken or chipped a tooth for cleaning it. This is a suggestion provided by the American Dental Association. Applying pressure to stop any bleeding and placing a cold compress on the area to reduce swelling is also suggested.
Don't Eat or Drink Unless Necessary
But if at all possible, you should at least avoid solid foods, sugary or acidic foods and beverages, and anything that's hot or cold. These types of foods are more likely to increase the pain. Any pressure on the damaged tooth can also worsen breakage.
If just a very small portion of your tooth has chipped, it will eventually smooth out due to your saliva. Over time the tooth will feel smooth on your tongue and you won't be able to notice the chip anymore.
Leaving a Chipped Tooth Untreated
Without professional treatment, the broken tooth is susceptible to an infection that will only get worse over time. This infection can move to the neck and head, causing all sorts of health problems. While rare, it is possible for a chipped tooth to prove life-threatening.
A cracked tooth can get worse by getting more damaged or by becoming infected. Subsequently, it is important to take precautionary measures to protect the tooth and schedule a dental visit as soon as possible to get the restorative treatment that you need for your cracked tooth.
It is important to know that any time that you chip or otherwise damage a tooth it is important to have your tooth and gums evaluated by a dentist to rule out any underlying damage and to protect your tooth from additional harm. In most cases you should plan to have your chipped tooth repaired.
The best way to prevent a chipped tooth from turning into a bigger oral problem is by getting it checked out by a dentist. Dentists have treatments at their disposal that can be used to fix any aesthetic issues caused by the damage and to prevent further damage from occurring.
When a patient has a chipped tooth, it means that a small portion of their tooth is no longer there. Chipped teeth are one of the more common types of dental problems that general dentists deal with. However, chipped teeth do not grow back on any portion of a tooth and instead need to be repaired by a general dentist.
The dentist can smooth out the rough surface using a small sanding disc or a type of dental sandpaper. Polishing out the sharp edges might be all that is needed, especially if the chip is tiny or in a spot that's hard to see.
If you have chipped off just a small piece of tooth enamel, your dentist may repair the damage with a filling. If the repair is to a front tooth or can be seen when you smile, your dentist will likely use a procedure called bonding, which uses a tooth-colored composite resin.
Depending on the chip, you can leave it until the next day, but it may indeed count as a dental emergency and require immediate attention. To maintain your oral health, it is best to always consult your dentist about a chipped tooth.
If you have a broken or chipped tooth, you should always see a dentist immediately to fix a chipped tooth. In the meantime, there are some steps you can take to minimize the pain and lower the chances of further injury to the tooth until you can see a dentist.
When you have less saliva flow in your mouth, the enamel crystal dries out and becomes more brittle. Even age can make enamel weaker and thinner. After age 50, enamel is more susceptible to cracks. As we get older, we can also suffer from bruxism or teeth grinding, which wears down the teeth and causes cracks.
Depending on the size of the crack, sharp edges of the chipped and cracked tooth can also damage or injure surrounding soft tissue in your gums and tongue. Without treatment, you run the risk of bacteria reaching the inside of the tooth.
Do chipped teeth get worse? Yes, if a chipped tooth is left untreated, it is likely to get worse over time. At best, it will simply spoil your smile or cause pain and sensitivity; at worst, it could result in infection or even tooth loss.
It depends on the severity of the fracture. For instance, minor chips can wait for a regularly scheduled appointment. However, seek medical attention immediately if a major portion of the tooth is broken.
If you delay or even skip that appointment, the broken or chipped tooth may end up infected, causing irreversible damage. Another reason not to delay that trip to the dentist is that you may begin subconsciously avoiding the damaged tooth by chewing on the other side of your mouth.
Chipping a tooth is quite common even though tooth enamel is the hardest tissue in the human body. Whether the chip is visible (because it's on one of your front teeth) or not, it's important to seek treatment as soon as possible.
It can cost $300 to $5,000 to fix a chipped tooth, depending on the method used to repair the tooth. Dental bonding is the cheapest option, while an implant is the most expensive option. There are many ways you can chip your tooth, such as trauma to the face or mouth, chewing on hard foods, or poor oral hygiene.
Causes of a Chipped Tooth
Chewing pens, pencils, or anything that shouldn't be in your mouth. Trauma, e.g. playing a sport or falling over. Grinding your teeth. Misaligned bite or crooked teeth putting added pressure on points.