Chipped Tooth Repair Fort Lauderdale, FL
A chipped tooth is inconvenient, embarrassing, and sometimes painful. The location of the chip and the severity of the damage are both taken into consideration when determining whether restorative dentistry or cosmetic dentistry is needed for repair. At Premier Smile Center in Fort Lauderdale, count on Dr. Charmaine Johnson and her dental team to deliver the right emergency dentistry for chipped tooth repair.
Reasons a Chipped Tooth Needs Immediate Dental Care
Every chipped tooth is a dental emergency. It doesn’t matter if the problem seems small, or doesn’t hurt, or is merely cosmetic. Minimizing this type of oral health problem can lead to major dental emergencies in the future. It’s always smart to get help immediately for the following reasons:
- You can’t see what’s happening inside the tooth. Your tooth has layers and depths. What appears minor could be a gateway for bacteria and food particles. Or, you may have an existing infection or deterioration that continues to intensify the longer you wait for treatment, leaving you susceptible to serious oral health complications.
- The tooth might be weaker than you think. Tooth enamel is one of the hardest substances in the human body. Some people have softer enamel though, which makes them more susceptible to breaks and chips. Others have a tooth that chips and then becomes weak. Either condition is problematic right now and, without intervention, problematic later.
- There could be multiple reasons for the chip. Sometimes a tooth chips because you bite down wrong on a food or use your teeth as a tool. Sometimes chipped tooth repair is needed because your tooth is infected or older dental work is deteriorating. Only your dentist can tell you for certain whether the problem you have is surface or goes far deeper.
Emergency Dentistry for Chipped Tooth Repair
Your dentist will want to know how your emergency occurred, whether it was an accident, sporting injury, teeth grinding, or a bad habit, like opening packages with your teeth. She will conduct an exam and take x-rays to determine how severe the problem is before recommending treatment, which could include the following, depending on your circumstances:
- Porcelain crown: Customized dental crowns are designed in size, shape, and color to fit over a problem tooth and protect it from further damage and destruction. A large chip is often fixed with this type of restoration that blends into your natural smile.
- Porcelain veneer: A more prominent tooth that gets chipped may benefit from a porcelain veneer that is personalized to match the rest of your teeth. The imperfection is corrected and the tooth looks as normal as always.
- Tooth-colored filling: Some chipped teeth benefit from a composite filling that is coated onto the tooth, building it back to its original size and shape, correcting the chip and beautifying the tooth simultaneously.
- Cosmetic tooth bonding: The resin of cosmetic tooth bonding is used to reshape and resize tooth enamel that suffers from minor chips. It’s a non-invasive repair that looks completely natural and restores the potentially problematic chipped area.
Whatever you do, know that your chipped tooth is not a casual problem. Getting your Fort Lauderdale cosmetic dentist’s eyes on your teeth right away is critical – she will tell you whether you need a repair now or if the fix can wait.
Contact Your Fort Lauderdale Dentist for Chipped Tooth Repair
Take every oral health problem seriously, for the sake of your smile and overall well-being. If you have a chipped tooth, contact the experienced team at Premier Smile Center to find out what the best solution is to fix your teeth and to get the immediate emergency dental care you need.