Repairing a Chipped Tooth- Prescott Dentistry

06 Nov Repairing a Chipped Tooth- Prescott Dentistry

A chipped tooth is much more common that you might imagine. With proper care our teeth are very resilient, but they can become weakened with age, or by poor dental habits, or by any sort of trauma, like a sports injury or an accident. A chipped tooth can happen in a moment. The good news?  Repairing your chipped tooth is something we can take care of at Prescott Dentistry in Prescott, AZ. Here are some of our thoughts on the process of caring for a tooth that has been chipped—before you’re able to get to our dentist office, and as part of our dental protocols when repairing your tooth.

When any sort of issue happens with your gums or teeth, you know it’s time to call our dental office. But what steps should you take from the time of a chipped tooth, until you arrive at our office? First, call our office to schedule an appointment right away. Even if we’re not in the office, call and leave a message so we can return your call first thing in the morning. Next, we recommend the following steps be taken:

1) If you’re experiencing pain from a chipped tooth, begin by taking tylenol or another light pain reliever. Make sure to follow the directions on the bottle.

2) Do a thorough rinse. Warm salt water swishing will help clear away food debris, in addition to halting infection from forming where the tooth is chipped away.

3) Do not bite down using the tooth that was chipped. If the part of the tooth where the chip has occurred is sharp, you can use a piece of wax to cover it temporarily, to prevent it from irritating your cheek.

When you arrive at your dental visit with us at Prescott Dentistry, we’ll have a number of possible solutions to fix your tooth. For small chips, usually a dental filling will work well to repair the broken portion. If the damage is more severe, our staff may recommend going another route, such as using a dental bridge, a dental crown, or even a dental implant to replace the broken tooth safely and quickly so that infection does not begin.

Of course, the best medicine is always prevention. Remember to care for your teeth during any sports activity that warrants wearing a mouth guard. And when it comes to your diet, be careful about eating foods like hard candies, popcorn with seeds, or any other hard foods that could quickly crack or chip a tooth. In addition, following through with proper at-home dental hygiene and visiting our Prescott Dentistry hygienist twice a year can help to reduce the risk of damage to your teeth. If damage does occur, we’re ready to help with repairing a chipped tooth, as well as with any other dental work that may be needed.