What can you do about a chipped tooth? The one thing you absolutely, under no circumstances, totally cannot do is nothing. You must take action of some kind. If you choose to take no action you leave yourself open to a plethora of health risks and compounding problems. If you make an appointment with your dentist to discuss the chip, you have already done 90% of the work.
Why you cannot do nothing
What is the big deal, people loose teeth all the time–it cant be that big a deal to live with a chip or two? Wrong. The worst thing you can do is settle into a complacency of decline. If you neglect reparing a broken or chipped tooth, you increase the chance of losing teeth.
* Infection- A chipped or broken tooth is a quicker path into the gums and bloodstream for bacteria. The crevices inside the broken enamel and dentin become the hottest club as far as bacteria are concerned; its the place to be. Bacteria and food particles accumulate, harden, fester, and attack healthy tissues. Before you know it the chipped tooth is a broken tooth, and the root needs to be extracted due to damage.
* Disease- Whether an underlying gum disease caused the broken tooth, or simply left the door open is up to your dentist. Once you have tooth damage, you are on a ticking clock to tooth disease and decay.
* Tooth Loss- The number one cause of tooth loss? Tooth Loss. When you are missing teeth, the other teeth become more mobile, and are vulnerable to attack from bacteria inside the broken or chipped tooth. One becomes two; two becomes entire rows of teeth. It happens quicker than you think.
What you can do
See a dentist. Be honest about what led to the damage. Was it a fall? Where your gums bleeding for months before hand? DId you stop flossing? You need to be forthright with any information you have so that your doctor can make the best recommendation possible. Request a cleaning with a dental hygienist, they can recommend changes you need to make and examine any other problem areas. Then get a comprehensive examination and current x rays. This will help to diagnose any root causes below the surface of the tooth, and helps to prepare you and your dentist for greater replacement options.
Repairing the tooth
This comes down to two options; either you are replacing the tooth structure or repairing it.
Repair- Options like tooth bonding, veneers, crowns, and caps are great options when the root structure is strong and stable.
Replace- Dental implants are the best option here. They will stimulate the jaw structure preventing further bone loss. They will also provide you with a new prosthetic tooth of immense strength, which will be sturdy and secure in your jaw.
What is next?
The only way to move forward is to see a professional. They are the only ones who can really say what went wrong. They know your mouth better than you do, and they have trained for just this opportunity.