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Important Steps to Take After Chipping Your Tooth
If you have a chipped tooth, you might have little to no discomfort, unless you chipped a large portion of your tooth. Large chips can expose the nerves inside the tooth resulting in intense pain, especially when something hot or cold comes in contact with the chipped tooth. Whether you chip a small or large part of your tooth, it is crucial that you seek prompt dental assistance. It is wise to contact your dentist immediately if you sustain a chipped tooth. At Jason C. Croft Dentistry, we urge our patients to do the following:
Rinse: Rinsing your mouth with warm water will be soothing and will help rid your mouth of tiny tooth fragments.
Press: Chipped teeth can result in bleeding near the affected tooth. If the bleeding does not correct itself in just a couple of minutes, it’s best to apply consistent pressure to the wound using clean gauze.
Cover: Obviously, it’s best to see an emergency dentist immediately following a chipped tooth, but if you can’t get in for several hours, you should cover the tooth with dental cement. Many people are unfamiliar with dental cement, but if you go to your neighborhood pharmacy, they will likely carry the item and you will find the directions to be self-explanatory. Dental cement protects the remaining part of the tooth and exposed nerves from food and drink, which could otherwise aggravate the tooth.
When you are examined by your dentist, the dentist will choose an appropriate course of action depending on the size and location of the chip. Small chips can usually be smoothed out and polished without much difficulty. Medium sized chips might require a filling, crown, or cap to cover the tooth and restore normal function and appearance. If you lost a large portion of your tooth, the dentist will likely perform a root canal to remove the damaged nerve and use a crown to cover the area.
Chipped teeth can be more than a cause of embarrassment. If left untreated, nerve damage could become worse causing intense pain. At Jason Croft Dentistry, we take pride in doing all that is necessary to restore function and appearance to our patients who have chipped their tooth. Contact us today to learn more about the ways we can fix that unsightly and potentially painful chipped tooth.