Biting into a favorite snack or colliding with a teammate during a friendly game can lead to an alarming outcome: a chipped tooth. As you run your tongue over the rough edge, questions come to mind. Is it serious? What should you do next? While it might seem like a minor inconvenience, some chipped teeth need emergency dentistry care. Below, Feliciana Dental outlines what constitutes an emergency.
Signs Your Chipped Tooth Needs Immediate Attention
Chipped teeth can turn into cracked teeth. The longer you wait, the more treatment you’ll need to return to normal. Here are indicators that you should seek immediate dental care.
- Severe Pain: Pain is your body’s signal that something is wrong, such as nerve damage or a fracture extending deep into the tooth.
- Bleeding: Bleeding gums can be a sign of significant damage to the tooth or surrounding tissues.
- Visible Crack: If the chip or break is very obvious, immediate care can prevent the tooth fracture from spreading or getting infected.
- Loose Tooth: A crack that causes a loose tooth feeling is an emergency. We need to act fast to save natural teeth.
Signs You Can Potentially Schedule a Regular Appointment
Not all chipped teeth require emergency dentistry. Understanding when it’s safe to wait can save you unnecessary worry.
- Small Chip: Sometimes, a chipped tooth primarily affects aesthetics. While cosmetic issues are essential, they don’t always require urgent care.
- No Pain: If you do not experience pain following a chipped tooth, you could make a regular dental appointment.
- Smooth Edges: If the edges of your chipped tooth are smooth and not sharp, it might not pose an immediate risk to your mouth or tongue.
- Unchanged Habits: If the chip hasn’t changed the way you eat or caused chewing difficulty, it might not be urgent.
However, it’s always best to contact Feliciana Dental to discuss your symptoms. We can determine what’s best for your unique case.
What to Do When You Chip a Tooth
Rinse your mouth with warm water to clear debris and reduce the risk of infection. Apply a cold compress to the outside of your mouth or cheek to help reduce inflammation and numb the area.
Don’t assume any broken pieces of your tooth are lost causes! If possible, bring them to Feliciana Dental. Sometimes, our St. Francisville dentists can reattach the fragments, especially if the break is clean.
Chipped Tooth Treatment
Whether you have a minor ding or a major crack, we offer several treatment options. Dental fillings can be effective for small chips. We use tooth-colored composite resin to fill in the chipped area. For more severe chips, we may use a dental crown, which covers the entire tooth, protecting it from further damage.
Cosmetic chips can be concealed with porcelain veneers. Veneers are thin shells that cover the front surface of the tooth. This solution not only hides chips, restoring the appearance of your tooth’s original shape, but it also covers up other imperfections like stains.
Don’t Fall to Pieces—Get Chipped Tooth Emergency Dentistry
A chipped tooth can be a minor inconvenience or a dental emergency, depending on the severity and symptoms. Pay attention to the signs and contact Feliciana Dental for advice and same-day appointments with our St. Francisville dentists.
