STEPS TO TAKE IF YOU OR YOUR CHILD HAS A CHIPPED, CRACKED OR BROKEN TOOTH
 

If you have a chipped, cracked or broken tooth, gently rinse your mouth with warm water to keep the affected area clean. If you have the broken tooth piece, wrap it in some wet gauze or wet towel.

 

If your face is swollen, put a cold compress like an ice pack or ice wrapped inside a cloth on your face to reduce the swelling.

 

Please contact us so that we can see you right away and fix your tooth. Please bring the broken tooth piece with you. Most of the time, the tooth can be saved.

 

If your child has chipped their tooth and is bleeding or in pain, please contact us immediately. Rinse the mouth with water and apply cold (such as ice) to reduce swelling. If you can find the broken tooth fragment, bring it with you to our dental office. This can help save the tooth, prevent infection and cut down the need for major dental treatment.

 

Although a chipped tooth may seem like simply a cosmetic concern that only affects the look of one’s smile and therefore doesn’t need to be treated, this is actually not the case. While it may not seem like a serious dental emergency, a chipped tooth can cause numerous problems if not treated by a dentist. From cuts on the tongue to tooth loss, these problems are best avoided altogether by visiting us the moment you notice a chip, even a minor one.

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CAUSES OF CHIPPED TOOTH

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• Biting hard food or objects

• Trips or falls

• Teeth grinding at night - also known as bruxism

• Tooth decay - cavities (holes) that weaken the structure of a tooth

• Large amalgam (silver) fillings that don’t support the remaining enamel of the tooth

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THE CHIPPED TOOTH TREATMENT PROCESS AND WHAT TO EXPECT

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When you visit our dental office for a chipped tooth, in most cases, we will file or polish the chipped tooth to smooth the rough edges. We may also use dental bonding made of composite resins to fill the chip or rebuild the tooth. This dental bonding is strong and tooth-coloured, so it will match your tooth and restore your tooth’s appearance and function.

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For more severe chips, we may restore the tooth with a crown, onlay, or veneer to protect the tooth from infections.​