What Should I Do If I Chip My Tooth? | Desert Dream Dentistry & Spa | Cracked Tooth? | Palm Desert, CA

Craked or chipped tooth? Learn what your options are. The tooth may be broken or chipped. It is good to be prepared and know your options

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What Should I Do If I Chip My Tooth? | Desert Dream Dentistry & Spa | Cracked Tooth? | Palm Desert, CA is a page on Desert Dream Dentistry, originally at https://desertdreamdentistry.com/palm-desert-ca/chip-my-tooth.

What Should I Do If I Chip My Tooth Palm Desert, CA

There are many reasons why a chipped tooth can occur, from an accident to merely chewing. If a chipped tooth occurs, professional dental care is necessary to receive proper evaluation and treatment. It is essential to seek prompt treatment to prevent the problem from worsening.

If you have a chipped tooth, do not hesitate to seek treatment. Desert Dream Dentistry & Spa in Palm Desert and the surrounding area is here to help. Call us today at (760) 565-0234 to schedule an appointment or learn more about our services.

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Try to Stay Calm

Chipping a tooth can feel devastating, particularly because it can dramatically impact one's outward appearance. It can be difficult to think straight and create a plan of action after chipping a tooth, especially when it is accompanied by pain. The more one remains calm—using deep breathing techniques or a soothing mantra—the more efficiently they can help themselves by taking action.

When someone has chipped a tooth, take a moment to first assess the situation. Ascertain to survey the extent of the damage, including any teeth that may have fallen out. Then, get to a calm place where you can sit down and collect yourself.

“It can be difficult to think straight and create a plan of action after chipping a tooth, especially when it is accompanied by pain.”

What to Do Immediately After Chipping a Tooth

After chipping a tooth, the most important thing to do is first call a dentist. If the person is experiencing pain or bleeding after chipping a tooth, it is particularly paramount to contact the dentist immediately. Doing so can help avoid complications such as an infection, nerve damage, or increased pain.

After contacting the dentist, you should try to locate any tooth fragments. If a fragment is still in the mouth or it has fallen out, place it in a glass of cold milk. While this practice may seem strange, preserving the tooth fragment in milk can help salvage the tooth, making it possible for your dentist to reattach the fragment later. If the tooth fragment was accidentally swallowed, do not try to retrieve it.

If there is any bleeding associated with the chipped tooth, use a warm water mouth rinse to gently clean and soothe the area. Place gauze over the bleeding area and apply pressure to encourage clot formation. For pain associated with a chipped tooth, we advise taking an over-the-counter analgesic medication such as ibuprofen or acetaminophen, provided that the patient can tolerate pain medications.

“If there is any bleeding associated with the chipped tooth, use a warm water mouth rinse to gently clean and soothe the area.”

Chipped Tooth in a Child vs. Adult

Although chipping a tooth is common for both adults and children, there are different concerns for each. Chipped primary teeth are especially common in children. We recommend treatments to repair the damaged tooth based on the patient's age and how badly the tooth is injured.

When treating chipped primary teeth in children, the main concern is to prevent damage to the underlying permanent tooth. Unlike an adult, a child's permanent teeth are not fully developed and will require immediate attention if a chip occurs. Regardless of whether the chipped tooth occurs in a child or adult, it is important to see our dentist as quickly as possible for treatment.

“When treating chipped primary teeth in children, the main concern is to prevent damage to the underlying permanent tooth.”

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Repairing a Chipped Tooth

There are various methods to repair a chipped tooth, depending on the state of the patient's tooth and the type of injury. In some cases, our dentist can reattach the broken piece of a tooth. If the damage is minimal, our dentist may only need to use cosmetic contouring to polish the tooth's surface or smooth a jagged edge. Other options include veneers to cover a chip or dental bonding to fill in missing tooth structure.

Chips that go below the tooth's surface may require more extensive repair, such as a root canal or extraction. A root canal is necessary when the damage enters the pulp and infects it. Extraction is the last resort when a root canal is not enough to save a tooth. Patients should contact us to find out what repair options are available.

“There are various methods to repair a chipped tooth, depending on the state of the patient’s tooth and the type of injury.”

Questions Answered on This Page

Q. How is a child's chipped tooth different from an adult's?

Q. What methods are available to repair a chipped tooth?

Q. How should I stay calm if I chip my tooth?

Q. What should I do if I chip a tooth?

Q. What can I expect after getting a chipped tooth repaired?

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How to Take Care of a Chipped Tooth Once It Has Been Repaired

Depending on how the chipped tooth was repaired, the patient may require different levels of tooth maintenance to preserve its integrity. Immediately following the repair procedure, we will give the patient-specific instructions about how to care for the tooth in the aftermath.

These general maintenance principles apply across all chipped teeth that have been repaired:

  • Exercise proper oral care by gently brushing twice daily and flossing once daily.
  • Use products that are specially formulated for sensitive teeth, such as toothpaste and mouthwashes.
  • Do not use teeth to open objects, and do not bite down on anything too hard.
  • Get routine dental assessments (usually every six months) so that the health of the tooth can be monitored.
    • “Immediately following the repair procedure, we will give the patient-specific instructions about how to care for the tooth in the aftermath.”

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Q. How common are chipped teeth?

    A. It is very common to experience a chipped tooth. In fact, the American Association of Endodontists reports that the most common type of dental injury is a chipped tooth. Luckily there are many things you can do to avoid a chipped tooth, such as making sure you do not use your teeth to open non-food items and wearing a mouth guard during contact sports.

    Q. How do chipped teeth most commonly occur?

    A. The most common way teeth chip is through injury. However, they can occur from other situations besides accidents and are often a result of weakened tooth enamel. Biting down on hard foods or objects can chip a tooth easily when the teeth are not as strong as they once were. We recommend using a mouthguard when playing sports and while sleeping to avoid injury or chipping a tooth from grinding or clenching.

    Q. Why does my chipped tooth hurt?

    A. If your chipped tooth hurts, it may be because the injury extends past the surface of your tooth. If the chip continues through the enamel and dentin layers of your tooth and exposes the inner part of the tooth known as the tooth pulp, you can experience pain. Make sure to follow up with your dentist as soon as you can.

    Q. What should I do with the piece of the tooth that chipped off?

    A. If you locate the chipped piece of tooth, you should save it to bring to your dental appointment. Try to keep the tooth chip moist by transporting it in cold milk. It may be possible for your dentist to reattach the chipped piece, but this is not always possible.

    Q. What if I chip a tooth and it falls out?

    A. If your chipped tooth becomes loose and falls out, this constitutes a dental emergency. You should contact your dentist as soon as possible so that you have the highest likelihood of preserving the integrity of the tooth. If possible, the American Dental Association (ADA) recommends that you try to keep the tooth moist by replacing it in your mouth until you receive further instructions from your dentist.

    Quality Dental Services Can Transform Your Smile

    By visiting us as soon as possible, our team can help get you the professional treatment you need. Instead of waiting around and allowing the symptoms to get worse, we can provide you with treatment options.

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    Dental Emergency Terminology

    Abscess
    A dental abscess is a pocket of pus the forms in the tooth root from a bacterial infection.
    Cosmetic Contouring
    A treatment that involves removing a small amount of tooth enamel with a drill to sculpt a more aesthetic shape and create a better fit for the surrounding teeth.
    Facial Cellulitis
    Facial cellulitis is a condition in which an infection from an abscess or plaque in the teeth causes pain and spreads throughout the face.
    Impacted Wisdom Tooth
    An impacted wisdom tooth is a tooth that does not erupt from the gums properly that can cause pain and become infected without professional extraction.
    Irreversible Pulpitis
    Irreversible pulpitis is when the pain in the tooth occurs spontaneously or continues to hurt after the patient removes the hot/cold substance that was causing pain. Normal pulpitis will cease hurting directly after removing what is causing the pain.
    Lateral Luxation
    Lateral luxation is the displacement of a tooth that moves it in the wrong direction while it is still attached to the gums.
    Pericoronitis
    Pericoronitis is the inflammation of soft tissues surrounding a tooth that does not fully erupt from the gums and causes pain.
    Root Canal
    The chamber within the root of the tooth that contains the pulp.
    Tooth Avulsion
    Tooth avulsion is when the tooth completely displaces from the socket due to an accident or other health issues. We can replant the tooth if the patient seeks immediate care.
    Tooth Fracture
    A tooth fracture can result from multiple sources including an accidental elbow to the face during a sports game, biting on something really hard, falling face first and more.

    Call Us Today

    If you have a chipped tooth, do not panic. Our team at Desert Dream Dentistry & Spa can help restore a chipped tooth's function and appearance. Call us today at 760-565-0234 to learn more about our services or schedule an appointment.

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