Understanding Root Canal Procedures

Steps to Take if You Chip Your Tooth

5 May 2017

Diane Mason

Chipping a tooth is something that can happen to a child or an adult, due to biting something hard,  an accident, or some other type of trauma to the mouth. Luckily, most chipped teeth can be treated by general dentistry. If you chip your tooth, take the following steps:

Rinse Your Mouth

After chipping a tooth, rinse your mouth with warm water. Doing so can help remove any debris from the chip and help clean out your mouth. If there is any bleeding around your chipped tooth, use a clean piece of gauze to apply pressure until the bleeding stops.

Cover the Tooth

If possible, try to visit your dentist the same day that you chip a tooth. If that is not possible, you need to cover the chipped tooth to help protect your tooth's enamel. You can properly cover a chipped tooth by using dental cement—this product is sold over the counter at most drugstores and can be safely used to protect a chipped tooth until you can get an appointment with your dentist.

See Your Dentist

A chipped tooth should never be ignored—it needs professional dental care. The type of treatment that you will need will depend on the severity of the chip and how much of the tooth was lost.

• Small Chip: In many cases, your dentist may be able to smooth and polish a tooth that has suffered a small chip. Bonding may also be used if smoothing and polishing does not work. When a dentist bonds your tooth, he or she will use a tooth-colored resin to fill in the small chip. The area will then be polished and the result will look just like a natural tooth.
• Medium Chip: If you have a medium-sized chip in your tooth that has done minor damage to the enamel of your tooth, your dentist may opt for a filling, crown, or cap to restore the appearance of the tooth and prevent an infection of the inner layers of the teeth.
• Large Chip: When you have a large chip in your tooth that exposes the nerve, you will need a root canal. The root canal will remove the damaged nerve, and then your dentist will place a crown or cap to replace the chipped tooth.

Oral Hygiene After a Chipped Tooth

No matter what type of dental treatment you need after a chipped tooth, you should not have any side effects after a few days, at the most. After a chipped tooth has been restored and repaired, a good oral hygiene routine of regular brushing, flossing, and check-ups should be all that you need. 

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