With all the different ways to damage your teeth, chipped or cracked teeth are fairly common. While you may want to see a dentist as soon as possible after damaging a tooth, there are some things you can do at home until you get an appointment. This guide from Flossy goes over what causes teeth to chip or crack, what you should do if it happens to you, and the different options you have for fixing your teeth.
Why Do Teeth Chip or Crack?
Teeth possess greater fragility than commonly believed. "Enamel comprises the outer layer of the teeth, and it may very well be the hardest substance in the human body. However, on a hardness scale of 1-10 (with 10 being steel), the enamel is only a five."
Common causes include:
• Teeth grinding (Bruxism): This condition gradually erodes enamel, exposing dentin (the brittle inner layer), making teeth susceptible to chipping.
• Nutrient deficiency: Insufficient calcium and fluoride during development weakens tooth structure, increasing fracture risk.
• Tooth decay: Poor oral hygiene deteriorates enamel, making teeth prone to damage.
• Biting on hard objects: Using teeth to open packages or bite hard candy creates immediate fracture risk.
• Accidental trauma: Blunt force from falls, collisions, or contact sports without protective gear causes tooth damage.
Common causes include:
• Teeth grinding (Bruxism): This condition gradually erodes enamel, exposing dentin (the brittle inner layer), making teeth susceptible to chipping.
• Nutrient deficiency: Insufficient calcium and fluoride during development weakens tooth structure, increasing fracture risk.
• Tooth decay: Poor oral hygiene deteriorates enamel, making teeth prone to damage.
• Biting on hard objects: Using teeth to open packages or bite hard candy creates immediate fracture risk.
• Accidental trauma: Blunt force from falls, collisions, or contact sports without protective gear causes tooth damage.
What Should You Do If You Break A Tooth?
Immediate professional dental care should be sought. However, temporary home management strategies exist.
If You Chip a Tooth
Minimize pain through: rinsing with warm water, applying cold compresses to reduce swelling, taking over-the-counter pain relievers (ibuprofen), and applying dental wax to jagged edges to prevent cuts to soft tissue. "After you get your hands on some, roll it into a small ball and stick it to the chipped part of your tooth."
If You Crack a Tooth
Schedule immediate dental appointment, minimize consumption of hot/cold foods and beverages, and take over-the-counter pain medication as needed. "If you hear a strange sound come from your mouth after doing something potentially damaging, make an appointment with your dentist."
If You Lose a Tooth
Contact dentist immediately for emergency appointment (ideally within one hour). Use gauze pad to hold tooth in socket if possible. Alternatively, preserve tooth in milk or saltwater solution temporarily. "Call your dentist and make an emergency appointment. You want to get to your dentist within the hour for the best chances of saving your tooth."
Do I Need To See a Dentist if I Chip or Crack a Tooth?
Professional evaluation is essential. Cracks can extend to tooth roots containing nerves, blood vessels, and connective tissue. "These cracks give bacteria a way to enter the inner part of the tooth, which can lead to an infection and require a root canal or tooth extraction." Only X-rays reveal damage severity. "Studies show that most chips and cracks affect only the enamel of the tooth, which shouldn't lead to serious complications. However, only your dentist can decide how serious the damage is." Emergency appointments are warranted for: excessive bleeding, severe pain, or complete tooth loss.
Can You Repair a Tooth at Home?
Home repair is impossible, though temporary solutions exist. "Many drugstores sell temporary repair kits, including dental wax to place over a chipped tooth or a dental paste that can fill the gaps left by tooth damage." "These kits only provide a temporary solution, so you don't lose the function of your teeth while waiting to see your dentist. These kits do not address underlying tooth damage, which can lead to serious complications if left untreated."
How Do Dentists Fix Chipped Teeth?
Treatment options:
• Smoothing (Cosmetic contouring): For minor chips, dentists polish surfaces or apply tooth-colored resin for volume and shape improvement.
• Reattachment: Dentists may reattach tooth fragments when available. If fragments are lost, composite resin replaces the missing portion.
• Veneers or crowns: Large chips require tooth coverage. Veneers are preferred because they require less tooth filing than crowns.
"Depending on how much your tooth chips, it may not be too serious and not require any treatment."
• Smoothing (Cosmetic contouring): For minor chips, dentists polish surfaces or apply tooth-colored resin for volume and shape improvement.
• Reattachment: Dentists may reattach tooth fragments when available. If fragments are lost, composite resin replaces the missing portion.
• Veneers or crowns: Large chips require tooth coverage. Veneers are preferred because they require less tooth filing than crowns.
"Depending on how much your tooth chips, it may not be too serious and not require any treatment."
How Do Dentists Fix Cracked Teeth?
Treatment approaches:
• Tooth filling: Surface cracks receive resin application and shaping for cosmetic restoration.
• Root canal: Cracks extending to tooth roots with infection require nerve removal and crown placement. "Root canals are incredibly common and require virtually no downtime."
• Surgical intervention: Multi-rooted teeth with one infected root may undergo hemisection (surgical separation) to prevent total loss.
• Extraction: Deep cracks below gum lines or those splitting teeth necessitate removal. Dental implants replace extracted teeth after healing.
• Tooth filling: Surface cracks receive resin application and shaping for cosmetic restoration.
• Root canal: Cracks extending to tooth roots with infection require nerve removal and crown placement. "Root canals are incredibly common and require virtually no downtime."
• Surgical intervention: Multi-rooted teeth with one infected root may undergo hemisection (surgical separation) to prevent total loss.
• Extraction: Deep cracks below gum lines or those splitting teeth necessitate removal. Dental implants replace extracted teeth after healing.
Takeaways
If you chip or crack your tooth, you should schedule an appointment with your dentist right away — even if the damage doesn't seem that serious. Leaving it untreated can expose you to various dental complications, some of which can even lead to losing your tooth. If you have a chipped or cracked tooth but do not have dental insurance, you can still get seen by a dentist.
Sources:
Chipped ToothDental EmergencyTooth RepairDental Care