If you chipped one of your teeth while eating something hard, you may wonder if a family dentist can restore your tooth or remove it. If the surface of your tooth is relatively intact, a dentist can potentially save it. Learn more about chipped teeth and how a family dentist saves them by reading below.
What Happens to Chipped Teeth?
The surface of your teeth, otherwise called enamel, is one of the hardest natural substances in your body. Although enamel is tough and resilient, it can still be harmed, traumatized, and even broken and chipped. Chipped tooth enamel can become infected with bacteria if you don't repair it right away.
When teeth become chipped, they lose some of their protective enamel. Enamel keeps the soft materials inside teeth safe from germs. Once a tooth loses its enamel, bacteria can easily enter it. Bacteria is one of the leading causes of tooth decay and gum disease.
It isn't always easy to tell whether or not a chipped tooth has an infection. But if your tooth does become infected, several things may occur. For example, you may:
Although you can strengthen enamel with mineralized toothpaste and other treatments, you can't regrow it. However, you can ask a family dentist to replace the enamel on your tooth for you.
How Do You Save a Chipped Tooth?
A dentist will need to act quickly to save your chipped tooth. As mentioned above, an infection can set in your tooth without notice. If a family dentist takes the appropriate steps to repair your tooth, they can potentially save it.
The first step to saving your chipped tooth is to take X-rays of it. X-rays allow a family dentist to determine the location of the chip in your tooth. If the chip exposed the nerves in your tooth, a provider will need to repair the tooth with a root canal or crown.
A root canal allows a provider to remove deadened, decayed, or diseased tissue from inside a tooth. A crown keeps the repaired tooth safe from germs after treatment. If necessary, a dentist can combine the treatments to save your tooth.
If the chip in your tooth is too deep or wide to save it, a dentist may remove the tooth. A provider can generally replace lost or extracted teeth with dental implants. If you have concerns about dental implants or losing your tooth, consult a dentist.
Learn more about chipped teeth by calling a family dental care clinic today.
Share12 June 2023
Do you care for your teeth like you should? Most people brush their teeth, but so many people rush through this process and are not as careful as they should be. Still others avoid flossing. A lack of dental care over the years can lead to increased decay. Thankfully, we have dentists who can treat decay with fillings, crowns, and in some cases, root canals. Dentists also provide preventative care. They can clean your teeth and use things like fluoride treatments to strengthen your enamel. The more you know about dental care, the better you'll be able to care for your mouth, so feel free to read some of the articles on this website.