There are several things that can chip a tooth. Common causes include grinding your teeth at night, nibbling on nonfood objects, or using your teeth to open packaging. When this happens the distress to the tooth and the required treatment can vary.
Even if you don’t feel pain and discomfort in the tooth, you should still have it examined and repaired at our dental practice. The textures in the chipped enamel can gradually start to trap food particles and plaque deposits. In time this could foster tooth decay in what was originally a healthy tooth.
Sometimes a small chip can be repaired with a basic amalgam or composite resin filling. If multiple teeth in your smile have minor chips, our dentists may recommend having porcelain dental veneers installed over the face of each tooth.
To treat a large chip or dental fracture we may recommend restoring the tooth enamel with a crown made from either porcelain, gold, or base metals.
Going forward you might want to make minor lifestyle changes to reduce your risk of suffering future dental fractures. This might include abstaining from certain habits or wearing a dental guard in your mouth when you sleep.
If you live in the Sherman, Texas, area and you have suffered a chipped or fractured tooth, please call 903-893-2800 to seek treatment at North Texas Dental. Dr. Nguyen, Dr. Fuhrmann, and Dr. Draper look forward to helping you keep your smile protected and strong!