Why You Should See a Dentist About Your Chipped Teeth

Chipped teeth do a lot more than ruin your smile. They can lower your confidence which in turn affects how you interact with others in your personal and professional life. Then, there are the potential medical issues you could end up having to deal with if you end up with chipped teeth and fail to get the required medical attention.

It can happen to anyone

It does not matter how careful someone is, anyone can end up with broken teeth. It only takes a small mistake, a little slip here or a tiny bump while drinking something in a glass bottle. Failing to properly take care of one's teeth only adds to the risk. When an individual fails to address smaller issues like tooth decay and cavities, the teeth become weaker, and an individual can end up with chipped or broken teeth from doing something as simple as eating crunchy foods.

If an individual ends up with cracked teeth, the first step is to determine the severity of the injury. Here are different classifications of chipped teeth:

1. Craze lines

Craze lines are minor tooth fractures that only involve the enamel of the teeth. There is no pain or discomfort associated with these types of chipped or broken teeth, creating mainly cosmetic damage. however, it is still important to see the dentist even if there are just minor craze lines since the affected areas have sharp edges that can easily cut the tongue.

We will decide on the most effective method for dealing with the craze lines once we examine the severity of the lines. If the lines are barely noticeable, we might simply polish the affected teeth with a dental tool to help it blend in with the rest of the teeth. For more obvious craze lines, we might decide to go with teeth-colored composite resin to repair the areas with broken teeth.

2. Severe break

A severe break is, as it sounds, serious and detrimental to one's oral health. A severe break is the result of an accident that significantly ships the tooth, creating a painful situation for the patient. In the case of severe breaks, the break is so deep it exposes the nerves in the teeth. In this scenario, we will likely perform a root canal to remove the nerve, then place a crown to protect whatever is left to salvage.

3. Split root

A split root is another serious dental injury that occurs when there is a fracture in the root of the teeth that eventually makes its way up to the chewing surface. Inflammation and infection are common symptoms of a split-root. Thus, complete extraction of the affected teeth is usually the best solution.

As you can see from the information above, broken or chipped teeth can be a serious dental emergency that requires immediate attention. Failing to do so can leave you with a disfigured smile, an infection, or serious pain and discomfort.