The appearance and health of your tooth may be at stake if it is chipped in an accident. You need to see your family dentist immediately so that an appropriate solution can be implemented. This article discusses some of the options that your dentist may discuss with you after evaluating your chipped tooth.

Dental Bonding

The easiest option that may be considered to fix that chipped tooth is to use a bonding material to reattach the section that was chipped off. The bonding material can be coloured or shaped so that it is not easy to differentiate it from your other teeth. If the broken section is lost, the bonding agent can still be used to cover the space left by that missing segment. One key advantage of dental bonding is that the process does not require any portion of your tooth to be removed in order to attach the bonding material. The bonding material can last for years if it is protected from impacts, such as falls.

Dental Veneer

Your family dentist may also consider using a dental veneer to cover the gap left by the chipped off segment of your tooth. The thin shell (veneer) is usually placed at the front of the tooth so that the defect on your chipped tooth isn't visible. However, the process of attaching the dental veneer may require some portion of the tooth to be scraped off so that the veneer is at the same level as the other teeth. Veneers are also suitable in case only a small segment of your tooth was chipped off.

Dental Crowns

A dental crown may be used to cover the entire visible section of your tooth in case you lost a large part of that tooth. The crown is usually of the same size and shape as your original tooth. The material used to make the crown is selected based on whether the chipped tooth was in a visible location of your mouth. For instance, ceramic may be used in case you need a dental crown on a front tooth. The crown is designed to resemble your other teeth in terms of their size and colour. However, the application of a dental crown requires the removal of some of the surface of the existing tooth so that the crown may fit well.

Talk to a family dentist in your area as soon as your tooth is chipped. That professional will evaluate your tooth and recommend the most appropriate of the options above. He or she will also offer you suggestions on how to prevent tooth chipping in future, such as by wearing a mouth guard when playing contact sports.

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