When you are eating or talking, the last thing you want to experience is a chipped tooth. Unfortunately, the force from a strange bite or hard food can leave you with dental damage, leaving you scrambling for what to do next. Here is a little more information about how to handle a chipped tooth and how a dentist can help. 

3 Tips for Dealing With Chipped Teeth

1. Stop Any Bleeding

Depending on how large the fracture is, you may or may not have bleeding when you chip a tooth. If you do, press a clean piece of gauze over the area until you can seek professional dental care. 

If the fracture is large enough to expose dental roots, and you still have the fragment, place it in a cup of clean water or milk to keep it moist. If you don’t have easy access to liquids, keep the tooth in your mouth between your lower jaw and cheek. 

2. Get to a Dentist

If you chip a tooth, contact your dentist immediately. If it’s small, they may recommend polishing the area to make the tooth appear symmetrical. Larger cracks or chips will be covered or rebuilt with tooth-colored composite resins, which are designed to match the color and opacity of your tooth.  After it is cleaned, these resins are molded around the tooth, cured instantly with a handheld ultraviolet light, and polished to meld with your smile. 

In cases where you can preserve the chipped tooth, dentists will use special cement that bonds to both tooth dentin and enamel to reattach the fractured portion. When the fracture is large enough to cause internal bleeding inside the tooth, your dentist may recommend a root canal and crown to make the tooth appear as normal as possible. 

3. Use Temporary Products

If you are unable to get to the dentist right away, use temporary products, such as dental wax, to cover any exposed roots and soften the sharp edges of the fracture.

Try to eat soft foods that won’t disrupt the dental wax, and always talk and chew carefully when you have a fracture to avoid oral lacerations. Treat any soreness or pain with over-the-counter pain relievers, such as ibuprofen. 

If you are struggling with a chipped tooth, don’t hesitate to reach out to Dental Wellness of Milford. With nearly 20 years of experience, Dr. Steven Johnson, DDS is committed to creating an enjoyable, pleasant atmosphere for his clients, while offering an excellent level of dental care. To find out more about how he can help, visit his website, or give his office a call at (513) 575-9600.