Lots of people will experience a chipped or even a cracked tooth at some point during their lives.
Even though your teeth are one of the toughest parts of your body, they’re not completely immune to damage and sometimes, life happens.
Here at Kherani Dental at Aspen, we use the latest dental technology and techniques to help restore chipped or damaged teeth. If you have a chipped tooth, call us today on (403) 263-0055 to discuss your options with our experienced dental team.
Is Your Chipped Tooth Painful?
One of the key parts of the tooth that make it so strong is the outer enamel layer.
This enamel layer is so mineral dense that it is, in fact, the hardest substance in the body.
Even so, it’s still not uncommon for general wear and tear or accident or injury to cause a chip in this hard enamel layer.
Sometimes, the chip can be small and completely pain free.
These are usually minor chips in the outer enamel layer. If your chip is relatively small, there’s a good chance that you won’t be in any pain at all. In these cases, the chip has not been large enough to expose the more sensitive areas of the tooth underneath the enamel.
Other times, larger or more inconveniently located chips can leave the underlying nerve of the tooth exposed.
In these cases, you may feel some pain or increased sensitivity in the affected tooth.
This is simply because the harder, outer protective layer of the tooth – the enamel – has been taken away. You may feel an increased sensitivity to hot or cold temperatures when you drink, and you may also experience pain when chewing or putting pressure on the chipped tooth.
What Causes Chipped Teeth?
One of the most common causes or chipped teeth we see here at Kherani Dental at Aspen are sporting accidents – particularly during the winter months.
However it doesn’t always take something as extreme as a skiing injury to cause a chipped tooth.
Sometimes something as simple as chewing or flossing can be enough to cause a chip in your tooth.
In these cases, the underlying problem is usually a cavity or some level of decay in the tooth which has weakened the enamel and left it more susceptible to chipping.
Chipped Tooth Treatment Options
If you have chipped a tooth, the first thing to do is to contact your dentist.
Regardless of if you are in pain or not, you should always have your chipped tooth inspected by a dentist to ensure that you get the treatment your tooth needs and to help prevent any further damage.
Even a minor and completely pain free chip in your tooth may require a filling or a dental crown in order to prevent it from any further decay in the years to come.
Smaller chips can often be repaired with just a simple polish to smooth out the tooth surface. If your dentist is satisfied that the chip does not leave the inner tooth exposed to damage and decay, then often the easiest way to treat a chipped tooth is to simply smooth the new sharp edges down and treat that as the new shape of the tooth.
The next most common treatments for a chipped tooth are dental fillings, crowns or even a root canal if the chip is particularly large and there has been additional damage to the nerves of the tooth underneath.
Cosmetic Dental Treatment Options For Chipped Teeth
In the front teeth, simply rounding out the edges of the chipped tooth is usually not the best cosmetic option for your smile.
Here at Kherani Dental at Aspen, we usually recommend porcelain veneers or crowns as a reliable way to restore your chipped smile.
To talk to our experienced cosmetic dentists about what treatment is right for you, call the Kherani Dental at Aspen team today at (403) 263-0055 to make an appointment.
