What Should You Do If You Have a Broken or Chipped Tooth If you think you broke a tooth, call your dentist immediately for broken or chipped tooth repair. The area around a chipped tooth may be extra sensitive to hot or cold. You can feel a chipped tooth by running your tongue or finger over the suspected broken spot. Diagnosing a Broken Toothĭetermining whether or not you have a broken or chipped tooth is usually pretty obvious – there’s a piece of your tooth missing and the broken spot will be jagged or sharp, and you’ll probably be in some amount of pain. Individuals older than fifty are also more at risk for chipped or broken teeth since tooth enamel weakens with age. Never use your teeth for anything but actually chewing food, such as holding onto objects, tearing open packaging like snack bags or similar items, or opening bottles.Īlso, keep in mind that if you’ve broken or chipped a tooth previously, that tooth will be more vulnerable and more likely prone to breaking in the future even after it’s repaired, so you’ll want to treat that tooth with extra care.Ĭavities and other tooth decay can also weaken tooth enamel, and so can having heartburn or acid reflux, along with eating significant amounts of sugar or acidic foods like coffee, fruits and fruit juices, and spicy foods.Īcidic foods and stomach acids all break down the enamel and leave the surface of the tooth exposed and more likely to chip or break. You should also avoid biting down directly on ice or things like hard candy. If you play a contact sport like football or hockey, then you should always wear a mouthguard. What Are the Risk Factors for a Broken Tooth or Chipped Tooth? The causes of a broken tooth can vary, from injuries like a blow to the face or a fall to something less dramatic like biting down on an ice cube or piece of hard candy or other unyielding food, or even just grinding your teeth at night. If you’ve fallen on your face, if you’ve received a blow or hit to the face, if you’ve used your teeth to rip open some kind of packaging (dentists will you to never do this but many of us do it anyways), or even if you have bitten down on something especially hard, you may break or chip a tooth. Teeth can break for a variety of reasons. Your dentist will be able to figure out the best way to treat your broken tooth and repair the chipped teeth, and restore your smile to its original glory.Īre you in Melbourne area and have an issue with a chipped tooth?Ĭontact Dr Kasen for help with your chipped tooth.
There are a variety of ways to repair a broken tooth, from caps to veneers to crowns. If you have a chipped tooth or even a broken tooth, you should see a dentist as soon as possible. The enamel on your teeth is some of the toughest tissue in your body, but it’s still vulnerable to chipping and even breaking.įalls, blows to the face, using your teeth to tear open plastic or other packaging, or even biting down on hard foods can all cause a broken tooth.