Having a damaged tooth is not fun and can cause more problems than just a chip in your smile. Decay starts easily on chipped surfaces and cracks can reach into the deeper structures and cause a lot of pain and weaken the tooth. Getting the damage taken care of is very important for your oral health.
If the tooth was damaged by a blow to the face, it might come with pain or bleeding. You can rinse your mouth with salt water to wash away blood and soothe gum tissues. Antiseptic mouthwash can irritate injured gums. If you have swelling in the area, you can lightly hold a cold compress to your cheek for 15 minutes at a time. Topical oral anesthetic rubbed on the gums to help reduce the pain until you can get attention.
More minor tooth damage, as long as it just affects the tooth enamel, can often be fixed with a simple dental bonding. Dental bonding uses a dental filling-like resin to sculpt into the chip and match the color of your teeth. This is a simple and quick treatment.
If the tooth has only very minor chips in it, such as from chewing on a pen, or crunching on ice, the dentist might be able to blend the area in a dental contouring procedure.
If you have a cracked, chipped or fractured tooth, you should call Radiant Smiles Family Dentistry in Kirkland, Washington, to set up a consultation with Drs. Danlu Lee & Wendy Yeung. We look forward to assisting you!