A chip can form on a tooth from something as mundane as grinding your teeth at night or an accidental blow to the face during athletics. People who fail to curb bad habits, like nibbling on pens and pencils, crunching on ice or using their teeth as tools, are at increased risk of minor dental fractures.
When this happens, it’s wise to have the chipped tooth examined and repaired as soon as possible at Letitia M. Williams, DDS, LLC. The longer you delay, the more likely you are to have plaque and bacterial matter infiltrate the chip and encourage the growth of a cavity. The severity and location of the chip in the enamel will determine the repair or restoration method that Dr. Letitia M. Williams recommends.
A minor chip can be repairable with a basic filling. If one or more of the teeth in your smile have chips, she might recommend having porcelain dental veneers installed over the face of each tooth.
A more significant dental fracture or a chip on a critical part of a tooth might require restoring the tooth enamel with a dental crown made from either porcelain, gold, or base metal alloy.
In an extreme case, the chipped tooth might also result in damage to the interior pulp. If this is the case, your dentist might need to perform a root canal to restore the damaged structures before mounting a crown.
If you live in the Union Springs, Alabama, area and you have suffered a chipped tooth, you should call 334.377.3778 to seek diagnosis and treatment at Letitia M. Williams, DDS, LLC. Â