If you have ever chipped a tooth, you know how painful and annoying it can be. You may be sitting at home, munching on a snack, or eating dinner. You chomp down, and suddenly, you hear a crunching sound. Now, you need to start treating a chipped tooth.
In the long run, a chipped tooth can be highly problematic to your teeth, mouth, and gums. If you chip a tooth, there are some ways you can treat it immediately, and it is very important that you call your dentist as soon as possible. At Lovett Dental Conroe, we are trained to provide you with the best dental care to treat chipped teeth and more.
What You Should Do To Treat A Chipped Tooth Right Away
If you chip your tooth and need emergency dental services, there are certain things you should do right away. First, rinse your mouth with warm water. Use gauze and apply pressure to stop your mouth from bleeding. Once the bleeding has stopped, put ice or a cold compress on the area to reduce the swelling and pain as the odds are pretty good that your tooth will hurt quite a bit.
Do not throw away the chipped portion of your tooth as it may be possible to reattach it. Only your dentist can determine this for sure, so your best bet is to rinse the tooth in warm water. From there, place it in a container and mix the tooth with milk, water, and a bit of salt or saliva from the mouth of the person who lost the tooth. Until you can see a dentist, you should try to avoid chewing hard foods and using that portion of your mouth.
Why You Should Immediately Call a Dentist
If you do knock out a tooth, you should call your dentist as quickly as you can. The good news is that a chipped tooth is a relatively common occurrence, and a well-qualified dental professional can make repairs and send you on your way. However, when it comes to a chipped tooth, time is of the essence. This is because portions of the tooth may die or become infected, making it impossible to reattach the original tooth.
If an infection occurs, you will need to seek treatment as quickly as possible. Tooth infections can cause massive pain and endanger your health. A chipped tooth does not mean that you are stuck with a broken mouth forever, of course. There are other things a dentist can do to help alleviate your pain and stress.
What a Dentist Will Do When Treating a Chipped Tooth
A dentist’s next steps are dependent upon the extent of the damage. A dentist may try to do any number of things, including repairing the chipped tooth or reattaching the original tooth portion. If the area around the tooth has become infected, the dentist may place a crown on the tooth in question in order to ensure that the infection does not get worse.
If the damage is small, your dentist may try to repair the damage with a filling. This will help restore the appearance of your tooth and allow you to chew easily again. This will occur through a procedure known as tooth bonding, during which the dentist will place a liquid or gel on the tooth and then harden the material with ultraviolet light. If the damage is larger, the dentist will likely try to restore the chipped tooth first, but that may or may not be possible.
If you chip a tooth or have any sort of other dental problem, remember that there are steps you can take to get help as soon as possible. Call our Houston, Texas dentistry at Lovett Dental at 936-760-2400 as soon as possible, and we will help you take care of any tooth problems that you have.
