One of the leading causes of chipped teeth is dental cavities. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention found that 31.6% of all adults have dental cavities. This statistic is quite high, and yet many people don’t go to a dentist to treat a chipped tooth.
The main reason is that they don’t know that they have chipped teeth or it doesn’t hurt that much. But there are reasons to see a general dentist at Splendid Dental Bellaire. Having a chipped tooth exposes your mouth to a wide range of dental problems such as completely losing the teeth or developing gum diseases.
What Breaks the Enamel on Teeth?
Although enamel is arguably one of the strongest tissues in your body, it can still break or crack due to various reasons. Over time, the enamel on teeth gets eroded as you consume more sugar and acidic drinks. This weakens the protective layer of the tooth and makes it more susceptible to chipping.
Chewing hard foods or objects may also break the enamel on your teeth. Using your teeth to open plastic packages or biting non-food items may also cause chipping. Grinding of teeth is another common cause of chipped teeth.
A blow to the face or any serious injury may also break the outer enamel lining of your tooth. Enamel does not have any blood vessels or nerves, so you may or may not feel pain when it breaks away.
Treating a chipped tooth is important because the inner part of the tooth could get exposed, causing a lot of pain, or get discolored over time. Additionally, the tooth may become very sensitive to changes in temperature.
What You Need to Do After Getting a Chipped Tooth
Chipping a tooth can be a very painful experience. The most important thing to do is to avoid panicking and visiting the dentist right away for emergency dental services.
But before you do, you need to do the following:
- Collect the broken piece of your tooth.
- Rinse your mouth with some warm water to clean it.
- Place the broken piece in milk to preserve it.
- If you suffered an injury, apply some ice on the affected side of your mouth. This will prevent swelling.
- If there is any bleeding or pain, visit a Splendid Dental Bellaire dentist immediately.
Avoid eating hard foods or using your teeth to open objects. This helps lowers the risk of chipping your tooth. Precautionary measures such as wearing a mouthguard during sporting events go a long way in protecting your teeth and mouth from injury.
You should also floss and brush your teeth at least twice a day using toothpaste enhanced with fluoride. This strengthens the tooth’s enamel and helps prevent cavities. Ensure you also visit the dentist regularly for professional teeth cleaning. This will help in treating a chipped tooth, especially if you didn’t know you had one.
Treating a Chipped Tooth at Splendid Dental Bellaire
The following are some treatment services offered to patients who have chipped their teeth:
- Root canal services: This treatment plan helps treat patients who have broken their teeth and left the inner part exposed. The procedure helps clean the inside of the tooth and prepares it for further treatment.
- Pediatric dentistry services: These services treat children who have chipped their teeth. Children need more dental attention than adults, and our friendly team we’ll give them the care they need.
- Tooth extraction services: Unfortunately, the tooth may be too chipped or broken. In such cases, the dentist will carefully extract it and find a good replacement for it.
- Dental implant services: Implants are great for replacing teeth, and they will give you great functionality, durability, and comfort.
Treating a chipped tooth is extremely important. It helps you prevent the occurrence of more dental problems and protects your tooth from further damage. Contact Splendid Dental Bellaire today by calling 713-244-7797 and let us take care of all your dental needs.
