Sometimes your teeth chip from underlying disease. Sometimes they chip because of a fall you took playing soccer two weeks ago. Sometimes they chip for seemingly no reason at all. At the end of the day, the only way to tell why your teeth chipped is to see the dentist. Even then they may not be able to tell you exactly what happened, but they can tell you what needs to be done.
Common causes of chipped teeth
* Damage- You bumped into something while playing with your phone, you hit your face but 20 minutes later forgot about it. This innocuous act believe it or not could have caused a microscopic crack in the enamel of your tooth, which cracked more, and led to a breakage. Crazier things have happened.
* Decay- Whether or not you had a microscopic crack in the enamel, you forgot to brush last night; and floss for the last 3 months. Over time this led to bacterial growth on the surface of your tooth, and now that bacteria is attacking the dentin that comprises most of your visible tooth.
* Disease- That infection never got taken care of, and now you have gum disease. Your gums are red and inflamed around one tooth. Your breath smells, and one day a piece of the tooth just cracks.
* Genetics- Your parent tells you that when they were your age, they had to have all their teeth replaced–some family secret.
* Smoking- Cigarettes are awful for you and your teeth, so are other combustibles you inhale. Look into cessation options.
* Age- Unfortunately, our bodies begin to break down at a certain point. For some, it starts in the teeth.
What can you do about Chipped Teeth
Take action, take responsibility, and make changes. Begin by being honest about your dental hygiene. Where are you at today, and what do you know you need to be doing in the future? You only get one set of your original teeth, you have to work every day to show them how much you care.
See your dentist. The only person who cares more about your teeth than you do. Dentists are the doctors of our teeth, and they have seen every kind of chip you could imagine. A cleaning feels great, and afterwards you will be able to have a thorough examination where your dentist inspects the chipped or broken tooth. They will be able to give their best assessment of what happened, and what replacement options will be the best solution. Sometimes they will pull the whole tooth, and offer a complete restoration alternative.
Sometimes the best option is the quickest, and most cost effective. A tooth bonding may be used when the chipped tooth is otherwise healthy. A tiny bit of resin and composite binding will be applied to the tooth or teeth in question. The material looks just like your tooth structure, but it is malleable while applied. This allows the dentist to work and shave it into the exact shape of your original tooth. They can provide accurate support for all teeth necessary for chewing, crunching, and gnawing.