Abnormal wear and tear can sometimes result in a chipped or broken tooth.
Understanding chipped and broken teeth
The enamel that covers our teeth is the hardest, most mineralised tissue in our body. Despite this, abnormal wear and tear or traumatic injury may result in a chipped or broken tooth.
Chips or fractures of the teeth can range from minor (when involving only the outer enamel layer) to severe (when involving the outer enamel, inner dentine and even sometimes the nerve tissue).
What should I do if I have a chipped tooth?
Chips or cracks that have been sustained as a result of a blow to the mouth or trauma should be assessed by a dentist as soon as possible to check for trauma to surrounding teeth, lips and cheeks. Smile Solutions makes emergency appointments available daily to cater for dental emergencies of this kind.
Chips sustained in any other way should still be assessed by a dentist fairly quickly (within a day or two) so that the underlying cause is treated right away. Left untreated, the chipped tooth may fracture further, cause sensitivity and/or pain or increase the risk of dental caries and ingress of bacteria into the nerve chamber of the tooth.
Call the Smile Solutions reception team on 13 13 96 to make a dental appointment for assessment and repair of your chipped or cracked tooth.
Frequently Asked Questions
How are chipped teeth treated?
Treatment modalities range from minimally invasive techniques to more complex restorations and are dependent on the size of the chip or fracture, the state of the tooth and the patient’s functional and aesthetic needs and budget.
Small chips confined to enamel can sometimes be simply buffed to smooth the rough edge and prevent trauma to the tongue and protect any undermined enamel from further damage and improve aesthetics. Larger fractures, or those that are highly visible in the front teeth, can be repaired using modern bonding techniques with tooth-coloured materials. With precise colour matching, chipped teeth are restored to their former selves and most patients can’t tell the difference!
For larger chips, a stronger material may be recommended. Clinical studies favour the use of porcelain for filled or capped teeth – this has increased strength, is more aesthetically pleasing and delivers greater long-term survival rates. To fabricate long-lasting, aesthetically pleasing porcelain fillings or caps to bond to fractured back teeth, our Smile Solutions clinicians prefer CAD/CAM CEREC technology. CEREC is a recent innovation in dentistry that allows your dentist to take a 3D scan of the affected tooth, then – while you wait in the chair – to mill a custom-made, extremely strong porcelain filling using our 3D milling machine. The custom made porcelain filling will then be bonded onto your tooth to repair the chip or crack.
What will I feel if my tooth has cracked?
The symptoms of a cracked tooth can vary according to the size and position of the crack. It is common to experience sensitivity to hot and cold drinks or food, pain on biting into food, or a reaction to sticky, sweet or sour foods. A complete fracture of a portion of the tooth may include all of the above symptoms, plus it may leave a very sharp edge to the remainder of the tooth, which can cut and irritate your gums, cheeks or tongue.
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