Chipped, Broken & Cracked Tooth Repair in Camberwell

Ever been out to lunch and felt a strange crunch? A crunch that was definitely NOT your sandwich? Only to discover that what you’d been dreading was true: a chipped tooth.

A chipped, broken, or cracked tooth all refer to damage to the hard structures of your teeth. Here’s a breakdown of the severity:

Chipped Tooth: This is the least severe and involves a small piece of enamel breaking off the tooth surface. It might be barely noticeable and cause no pain.
Broken Tooth: This is a more significant fracture that affects a larger portion of the tooth. It can involve the enamel, dentin (layer beneath enamel), or even the pulp (innermost part containing nerves and blood vessels). Depending on the severity, it may cause pain and sensitivity.
Cracked Tooth: This describes a fracture that runs through the tooth, potentially extending from the enamel down to the root. It might not cause immediate pain, but over time, the crack can worsen and lead to problems like infection or complete tooth breakage.

Causes of Chipped, Broken & Cracked Tooth

There are several reasons why a tooth might become chipped, broken, or cracked. Here are some of the most common causes:

Misusing Teeth: This includes biting on hard objects (ice, candy, nutshells) or using them for unintended purposes (opening bottles).
Uneven Bite: When your teeth don’t come together properly, it can put excessive stress on certain teeth, increasing the risk of cracks or fractures.
Biting Forces: Chewing very hard foods, especially with pre-existing decay, can chip or crack a tooth.
Teeth Grinding (Bruxism): Grinding or clenching teeth, often subconscious, can put immense pressure on them, leading to cracks or breaks over time.
Weak Teeth: Factors like tooth decay, gum disease, or extensive past dental work can weaken teeth, making them more prone to damage.
Dental Issues: Old fillings can fail due to wear and tear, or heavily filled teeth might have a weakened structure, increasing the risk of chipping or breaking.
Facial Trauma: A blow to the face from a fall, accident, or sports injury can cause significant damage, including chipped, broken, or cracked teeth.

Chipped, Cracked or Broken Tooth Treatment & Repair in Camberwell Dental

Procedures to treat a cracked tooth vary depending on the extent of the damage. In most cases, chips can be repaired in a single dental visit. However, some may require larger, more extensive and more time-consuming treatments such as crowns. During your appointment we will examine your chipped tooth, and tailor a comprehensive treatment plan especially for your needs. We can even provide a quote for both the most ideal long-term option and the most effective short-term immediate solution for your needs. Some of the treatments that we may use for a chipped tooth include:

Dental Composite Bonding with white fillings: for larger, more extensive chips
Enamel Shaping: for smaller chips that do not require composite bonding
Dental Veneers
Dental Crowns
Tooth Extraction

Why Treat a Chipped or Broken Tooth?

Left untreated, a chipped tooth can lead to a number of quite painful, and in some cases, severe problems:

Your chipped tooth could become damaged further, or even become infected, possibly causing the loss of your tooth altogether.
If you do lose your tooth, this may also result in nerve damage, and could kill your nerve completely, followed by the formation of an abscess under your tooth. If this occurs, we can treat the tooth with root canal therapy.
In very serious cases, your tooth might split down the middle, into two pieces. If this occurs, unfortunately, we cannot save or salvage your tooth. We’ll need to extract and possibly replace your tooth with an implant.

How to Minimise the Risk of A Chipped Tooth

There are a number of things you can do to reduce the risk of chipping your teeth. All you need to do is follow some simple dental guidelines:

If you are prone to grinding or bruxing your teeth, then it is a good idea to get fitted for an occlusal splint or possibly another type of dental appliance. Wearing a dental appliance will greatly reduce the wear and tear on your teeth, increasing their longevity by years and reducing the likelihood of chipping enormously.
Wear a mouthguard during any physical contact sport.
Minimise sticky, hard or chewy foods in your diet, avoiding hard foods like corn kernels and ice, and chewy foods that stick to your teeth, like honeycomb.
Do not use your teeth to open bottles, or to chew on pens or any other foreign objects.
If you have ay further questions related to chipped tooth, reach out to our Camberwell Dental Care.