One of the most common issues that we see is a chipped or cracked tooth. Your teeth are naturally very strong, made of the hardest material anywhere in your body. But a powerful enough impact, whether from biting down on something hard or being struck in the face, can be enough to chip or break that enamel.
If the chip in your tooth is severe, you will likely seek out dental help voluntarily. However, even a small chip in your tooth should be examined. Left untreated, a chipped tooth can change your bite alignment or lead to a more serious crack in the tooth.
The cosmetic dentistry procedures that can be used to treat a chipped tooth include:
FILLING or BONDING – used for small chips in your teeth than are repaired with tooth colored composite resin . These are carefully created chair side by your dentist.
CROWNS cover the entire tooth, recommended when a large portion of the tooth breaks. In this case, fillings or bonding is not strong enough. This crown is made in a lab after your dentist carefully prepares the tooth.
ONLAYS cover much of the tooth but not all of it. A conservative restoration used for smaller fractures . your dentist prepares the tooth and a lab creates the onlay.
VENEERS – used mostly for the front teeth. Veneers can recolor and reshape the tooth – lasts longer than bonding . These are made in the lab after your dentist prepares the tooth.
SMOOTHED OR POLISHED – if the chip is small enough, very often your dentist can polish it – however if the chip is too deep, polishing will not help and you will need to look into repairing it with one of the above techniques…
If you have a tooth that fractures or chips, please call our office as soon as it happens. Our number is 207-773-1703 and we will make an appointment to see one of our dentists as soon as possible. If the break occurs during non office hours and you are in pain just follow the emergency prompts on our voice mail. We are always available to care for you.