When you chip, break or crack a tooth, it can be very painful. There are numerous ways you can damage your teeth. Depending on the type of injury and the condition of your teeth, the damage can be minor or extensive. If there is minor damage to a chipped front tooth, your best option is to ask about Chipped Tooth Treatment Options from Voss Dental in Houston Texas.
Yes, your chipped tooth can be treated including broken molar tooth repair. Your chipped tooth repair cost depends on your specific circumstances, but the answer to the question can a chipped tooth be fixed is yes. Unless your damage is minor, you need to visit a dentist to permanently repair your tooth. Until then, protect your mouth and tooth from further injury.
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What to do If You Have a Chipped Tooth
If you have a broken, cracked or chipped tooth, rinse out your mouth with warm water as soon as possible to clean the area. You can stop any bleeding by applying pressure. If you are experiencing swelling, apply a cold compress on your tooth to decrease the inflammation. If you have the piece of your tooth that broke off, wet a piece of gauze to wrap your tooth in, then bring it with you to the dentist.
Fix Broken Tooth
Call Voss Dental in Houston Texas as quickly as possible to make an appointment. your dentist will provide you with the treatment options appropriate for chipped tooth repair. There are several different methods to fix your broken tooth depending on the type of damage, the condition of your tooth and the type of tooth damaged.
How to Care for a Chipped Tooth Until You See a Dentist
If your chipped tooth has popped out, remove it by the crown with a gauze pad. If possible put your tooth back into the socket. If your tooth appears to be dirty, use water to rinse it off. Do not use any type of solution to clean or scrub your broken tooth. Do not use pieces of tissue to clean your tooth. If you are unable to get you tooth back into the socket, put it into a glass of water, saline solution or milk.
Coping with the Pain of a Chipped Tooth
Try to get to Voss Dental in Houston Texas within 30 minutes. If you are in pain, use warm water to flush out the inside of your mouth. Use cold compresses every few minutes on the outside area of your mouth. This will help keep your swelling down. You can use over-the-counter anti-inflammatories and pain relievers, but do not take more than the dosage recommended on the package.
Applying clove oil to your chipped tooth should help with the pain. Clove oil contains eugenol. This numbing agent also has anti-inflammatory properties to help decrease your pain.
Can a Chipped Tooth be Fixed with a Temporary Broken Tooth Repair Kit for Home
If your chipped tooth has a jagged edge with just a small chip, you can prevent damage to your mouth and cuts to your tongue with an application of dental wax to cover the edge. If you are missing a large portion of your tooth or the chip is large, this is not recommended. Using dental wax can result in more of your tooth breaking or cracking.
You can find a selection of temporary kits at your local drugstore containing dental wax for your chipped tooth. Do not chew on the side where your chipped tooth is located. You can decrease both irritation and pressure by flossing around your broken tooth. You can also purchase a temporary repair kit online. If you have to wait to see your dentist, this is extremely helpful.
Each kit either contains a material you can mold into the shape of your chipped tooth to fill in any gaps resulting from a missing or broken tooth or dental wax for your jagged edges. You need to understand this type of kit is for temporary repairs only. Voss Dental in Houston Texas will provide you with treatment options addressing deeper issues that can result in complications including tooth loss and infection. This type of kit is not a substitute for your proper dental care.
Treatment Options for How to Fix a Chipped Tooth
Molars are frequently broken resulting in the need for broken molar tooth repair. This is most likely because your molars have pointy cusps capable of powerful grinding into the grooves of your molars. If you have a chipped front tooth, this is also fairly common. An injury can cause any of your teeth to break. You may sustain a serious injury or only slight cosmetic damage.
If you have a deep crack, it can go all the way down to your root and your pulp chamber. This is where your connective tissue, blood vessels and nerves are located. You may be unable to see the crack because it may be hidden inside of your chipped tooth or below your gumline. With some chips or cracks, you may not experience any symptoms. If you have symptoms, they can be mistaken for periodontal disease, sensitivity or cavities.
In most instances, if your damage is deep, your treatment options will be more extensive. The extent of your damage can be diagnosed with a dental exam. Your dentist may take dental X-rays, perform a note test or use a magnifying glass.
Cracks Not Requiring Treatment
Not every cracked or chipped tooth requires you to have treatment. Small cracks occurring in your enamel are common, do not generally require treatment and are referred to as craze lines.
Treatment Options for a Cracked or Chipped Tooth Requiring a Dentist
Unless the damage to your tooth is extremely small, you will need to visit Voss Dental in Houston Texas for chipped tooth repair. Making an appointment is important because you will be unable to tell how deeply the damage has penetrated your tooth. You also need to be careful because a chipped tooth can sustain a further injury or cut into your soft tissues resulting in infection, additional pain or a more expensive repair.
If you do not receive treatment options for the damage, an infection can occur. This can cause complications such as tooth loss or a root canal. Depending on the type of injury to your tooth, you may be unable to wait for an appointment. In some cases, you will need emergency treatment. A good example is if one of your teeth is knocked out. If you can find your tooth, put it back into the socket and see your dentist immediately, it is possible your tooth can be saved.
If you are experiencing heavy bleeding or you are in a lot of pain, your situation is considered an emergency. Your treatment options depend on the size of the break or crack and the location. The most common treatment options include:
• Bonding
• Polishing
• Implant placement with tooth extraction
• Crown placement with root canal
You might not need treatment for tiny cracks and surface lines. Your dentist will probably take X-rays to determine the extent of damage caused by your cracked or chipped tooth.
Fix Broken Tooth or Chipped Tooth
If your damage is slight, your dentist can polish the surface of your tooth to smooth out a jagged or broken edge. In some instances, fissures and gaps in your chipped tooth can be filled with dental bonding. Your tooth will be slightly abraded before a conditioning liquid is applied. A composite resin the color of your tooth is used then formed into the correct shape. Your repair may only require one visit.
Potential Root Canal
If your crack or chip is deeper than the surface of your tooth, a more extensive repair will be necessary. If your crack goes down to the pulp, you will most likely need a root canal. Your infected or inflamed pulp will be removed during your procedure. The inside of your tooth is then sanitized and filled with a material called gutta-percha. Your tooth is then capped with a crown or filling.
The root canal procedure you will receive is more routine than what was available in the past. Your pain level is now similar to having a simple cavity filled. The specific type of repair you need will determine your chipped tooth repair cost.
Surgery
If you damaged a molar, you should know there is more than one root. If you only fractured one root, the remainder of your tooth can be saved with a root amputation or hemisection. Your remaining tooth will require a root canal and a crown. It may be necessary to have oral surgery to find any hidden canals or cracks that did not show up on your X-rays or for the removal of calcium deposits from a root canal you had in the past.
Tooth Extraction
It may not be possible for Voss Dental in Houston Texas to save your chipped tooth with a root canal. If your crack is too deep, an extraction may be the best option. If your tooth is split or the crack is below your gumline, the chances are good it will need to be extracted. If your tooth is extracted, Voss Dental can perform an implant procedure that functions and looks just like your missing tooth.
How Much Does it Cost To Fix a Chipped Tooth?
Your chipped tooth repair cost can be as low as a couple of hundred dollars for a simple cosmetic procedure. If you require a root canal and a crown, your chipped tooth repair cost can be $2,500 to $3,000. If your tooth needs to be extracted and you want to replace it with an implant, your cost is between $3,000 and $5,000. The majority of dental insurance policies will cover a portion or all of the cost for your tooth repair.
You may only need to visit the office once or twice for your repair. If you have a root canal, you should be able to go back to work the following day. If you would rather have some time to recover, your extraction or root canal can probably be scheduled on a Friday so you can rest and recover during the weekend.
The Bottom Line
A broken or chipped tooth can cause you a lot of pain. If your damage is minor, you may not even need to have treatment. The best way to be certain is to make an appointment with your dentist to have your chipped tooth checked. You will be offered all possible treatment options to ensure you receive the correct repair for your situation.