Chipped teeth are no fun. It hurts when it happens, and people will notice. Rather than letting everyone laugh at you, or compare you to the dumb characters from movies, though, it’s easy to do something about it! There are a few different options you have for fixing it.
The first is bonding. Bonding involves application of a composite filling material that your dentist will color and shape to match the original tooth. Little to no removal of existing tooth surface is needed. If you somehow managed to save what had been chipped off — like if it was a small section, then your dentist can even re-bond the tooth back together. This is the primary repair method, and the most common.
The other options focus on covering the chip — the first is applying a veneer. This is a thin, custom-made shell placed on the front of the tooth to give it a new look. The second option is getting a crown made for the tooth. This is ideal if a large amount of the tooth has been chipped off. The process of getting a crown fully encases the visible portion of the remaining tooth (also known as the crown) above the gum line and is shaped and sized to match the original. These are not repair options, but rather more cosmetic.
While there are many preventative steps for chipped teeth, sometimes it just happens. Thankfully, there are three easy ways to take care of a chipped tooth.
