It’s family night. You and your loved ones are gathered around your television, watching a movie and eating popcorn. You reach into the community bowl, pop a piece of popcorn into your mouth, bite down on a kernel and chip your tooth.

What should you do when you have a chipped tooth?

Well, the first thing you should do is rinse with warm water to clean your mouth. Then you should apply a cold compress to the face to reduce swelling. Finally, and most importantly, you should call your dentist. There are various options when it comes to repairing a chipped tooth. Only your dentist will be able to say which one will work best. That being said, the following is a list of these options along with a short description of what they entail.

Tooth Bonding

Using a special resin colored like natural teeth, the dentist carefully fills the chipped area. After the procedure is complete, the chipped tooth will look just like the rest of your teeth.

Tooth Contouring

This method is used for shallow chips. The dentist will remove a small amount of the tooth’s enamel, smoothing out the surface of your tooth and making it look as though nothing ever happened. This method will not work if the chip is deep.

Dental Veneers

Thin, strong shells that are bonded with the front of your teeth, dental veneers will cover any chip and make your tooth healthy and strong. They also have the benefit of adding a protective layer to the damaged tooth.

Dental Crowns

Made to look and feel just like healthy teeth, crowns will hide any chips by covering the visible part of your tooth. It is essentially a tooth-shaped cover that is placed over the damaged tooth, protecting it from further damage.

Now that you’ve read the different ways a chipped tooth can be fixed, here are some common scenarios in which teeth get chipped:

• Using water fountains
• Undergoing intubation
• Car accidents
• Chewing on anything hard
• Tooth decay
• Using teeth to open something or hold something
• Teeth grinding

If you, or someone you know, has chipped a tooth, make sure to call our office as soon as possible.