From biting down on a hard piece of food to getting hit in the face while playing sports to just plain bad luck, a chipped tooth can occur for a number of different reasons. But can a chipped tooth lead to more severe dental problems? If you are careful to follow these steps and to seek the help of your dentist, a chipped tooth doesn’t have to spell dental disaster.
After your tooth becomes chipped, the first thing you should do is schedule an appointment with your dentist. If left untreated for too long, a chipped tooth might lead to infection or further damage, so seeing your dentist as soon as possible will help you avoid this. In the meantime, before your appointment, you can do certain things to keep your mouth in healthy condition. Rinsing your mouth with salt water will help clean away any blood and kill off harmful bacteria that might otherwise find its way over to the damaged tooth. Because you want to avoid doing any more damage to the tooth before it is treated, if you can avoid eating, this will be helpful. Food particles that become lodged in the space where a tooth is chipped could lead to infection. If you do eat, you should try not to bite down on the chipped tooth and stick to soft foods or liquids, then rinse your mouth immediately afterwards.
Your dentist can go about fixing your chipped tooth in a number of ways. Smaller fractured or chips can usually be repaired with a filling or bonding, which is designed to blend in with the natural color and shape of your tooth. For more severe chips and breaks, your dentist might use a dental crown to protect the tooth from further damage and reinforce its strength. Crowns come in a variety of materials, including metal, porcelain, resin, and ceramic. Your dentist can recommend the right kind of crown for you in the event of a chipped tooth.
Do you have a chipped tooth and need to seek dental treatment? Call Olney Dental today.
About Olney Dental
Olney Dental has been providing comprehensive dental care for residents of Olney and the surrounding area since 1985. We’re conveniently located on the campus of Montgomery General Hospital, and provide care for all ages for children to adults and seniors. We’re also independently owned by our dentists, which allows us be patient driven in our approach to dentistry. Your smiles make us smile! You can also connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Pinterest, and YouTube.
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