What Is the Best Solution for a Chipped Tooth?

Chipping a tooth can impact your smile and put you at risk for infection. 

To avoid needing a root canal in the future, have your chipped tooth evaluated by our dental team. Our expert dentists at Hendricks Dental Specialists in Brentwood, Tennessee, can repair your chipped tooth to restore your smile’s appearance and preserve the tooth’s health.  

How teeth break

Your teeth are strong and can withstand the normal pressure of your bite. However, you can crack or chip a tooth under many circumstances and at any age (although small children and elderly adults are most at risk).

You might break a tooth by:

• Grinding your teeth under stress or in your sleep
• Chewing on ice
• Chewing hard candies
• Having a filling that is too large for your tooth
• A car accident
• Chomping on the pit of a fruit
• Being hit during a contact sport
• Being a victim of physical violence

As you age, your teeth become weaker and more susceptible to breaking. 

How our dentists repair chipped teeth

Your first steps after breaking a tooth make a significant difference. Minor or cosmetic damage can safely wait for a visit, but many chipped and broken teeth require emergency dental care. Call Hendricks Dental Specialists if you’re not sure whether your broken tooth is a dental emergency. 

Our dentists examine the tooth using X-ray imaging to check for damage to the inner pulp. If the pulp is damaged, they might perform a root canal and fit the tooth with a dental crown. 

If the pulp is not damaged, treatment is easier. Our team treats minor chips with tooth contouring. They round the edges of the tooth to smooth over the chipped portion. 

Another common treatment for a chipped tooth is called dental bonding. For bonding, we apply tooth-colored resin to the tooth layer by layer. We harden each layer of resin with a special curing light. As each layer hardens, it builds onto the chipped tooth to restore its shape and size. 

We may recommend a custom veneer if the chip is larger. A custom veneer is shaped just like a natural tooth. It covers the front of the tooth and is attached permanently. 

Preventing future chipped teeth

Dealing with a chipped tooth is an inconvenience. You can lower your chances of chipping another tooth by: 

• Wearing a mouthguard during contact sports
• Getting a custom night guard if you grind your teeth at night
• Brushing, flossing, and scheduling regular dental cleanings
• Not chewing on solid objects like hard candies, ice cubes, or fruit pits
• Avoiding sugary and alcoholic beverages that weaken your teeth

If you break, chip, or crack a tooth, don’t wait. Call Hendricks Dental Specialists for advice or emergency care. You can schedule an appointment online.