Why do teeth chip?
- A fall, a blow, a hard bite or a habit. Ice, pits and bones, or teeth used on nails, pens and packaging.
- Extra load. Teeth that take more force, from an uneven bite or from grinding and clenching (bruxism, often during sleep), wear and crack first.
- Weakened enamel (the hard outer layer). Frequent acid from snacking or reflux, dry mouth and age all cost the enamel minerals.
- Decay you cannot see. A cavity between teeth or under an old filling hollows the tooth until a thin wall gives way. A tooth with root canal treatment (cleaning and sealing the space inside the tooth) and no crown (a cap that covers the whole tooth) is more brittle too.
How do I know how bad the chip is?
A sharp edge that catches the tongue is usually a chip in the enamel only. Sensitivity to cold or sweet usually means the dentin (the softer layer under the enamel) is exposed. Throbbing pain or bleeding from the tooth itself means the pulp (the nerve and blood supply at the center of the tooth) may be involved; that tooth needs a dentist the same day.
What should I do right now?
- Rinse gently with warm water, and press clean gauze on any bleeding.
- Cover a sharp edge with dental wax or sugarless gum.
- Keep any broken piece in milk or saline (sterile salt water); a fragment can sometimes be bonded back.
- Chew on the other side; skip very hot, cold, hard and sticky food.
- For swelling, hold a cold compress to the cheek, ten minutes at a time.
- Take an over-the-counter pain reliever if you normally tolerate it, following the label.
- Call us. A chip that does not hurt can wait a few days; a painful one cannot.
How is a chipped tooth repaired?
Dr. Tetri examines the tooth and the bite, with an X-ray when the chip is more than cosmetic. The repair follows the depth.
- Enamel only. We smooth and polish the edge and apply fluoride to help the surface resist decay.
- Enamel and some dentin. Bonding: tooth-colored composite (a resin filling material) is built up, shaped and polished to match in one visit. For a front tooth with a larger or repeated chip, a porcelain veneer (a thin ceramic facing bonded to the front of the tooth) is stronger and holds its color longer. Our fillings and restorative care and porcelain veneers pages explain both.
- A large break that reaches the pulp. The tooth usually needs root canal treatment and then a crown.
- A fracture that runs into the root. A tooth split below the gumline usually has to come out, and we plan a dental implant (an artificial root placed in the jaw) or another replacement. The final crown on an implant waits a few months while the implant fuses with the bone.
What happens if I leave it?
Chips do not heal. Decay can start in the rough edge, a sharp edge can cut the cheek, an exposed pulp can become infected, and a deep fracture left alone can end in losing the tooth.
How do I lower the risk of another chip?
Keep your check-ups at the interval we set for you, often every six months and more often after gum disease, so decay and worn fillings are found while they are small. Wear a night guard (a thin custom guard worn during sleep) if you grind and a sports guard for contact sports, and use your teeth only for food.
Questions patients ask
Will a small chip heal on its own?
No. Sensitivity may fade, but lost enamel does not grow back.
When to call us
During office hours, call 786-320-5445 the same day for a chip that hurts, bleeds, feels loose, or came from a blow to the face. After a blow to the head with fainting, confusion or vomiting, or bleeding that will not stop, call 911.