IS A CHIPPED TOOTH AN EMERGENCY? HERE’S HOW TO TELL

When someone chips a tooth, they often don’t know what to do. Finding a piece of enamel in your mouth after an accidental impact on your face or by biting down on something too hard is disconcerting, to say the least. Often, a person’s first instinct might be to seek a mirror to determine how bad the damage looks. Of course, if a person has suffered other injuries due to an accident, the chipped tooth might not be top of mind. Whatever the scenario, a person who chips a tooth often does not know whether to treat it as an emergency or not.

The emergency dental experts of Island Tower Dentistry in Marco Island, Florida, will tell you that discerning whether a chipped tooth is an emergency is not always so clear-cut. While some chipped teeth warrant immediate emergency dental care, many do not. However, even minor chips that do not cause pain, expose the dentin or pulp, or compromise the tooth’s structural integrity should be assessed by a dentist to ensure it does not cause a future dental issue.

COMMON CAUSES OF A CHIPPED TOOTH

While a person’s tooth can sometimes chip for no discernible reason, there is usually an identifiable cause. Common causes of a chipped tooth include:

• Accidents or trauma connected to falls, facial collisions, and sports injuries.
• Biting down on hard substances like dense candy, ice, bones, popcorn kernels, and oral jewelry.
• Teeth grinding (bruxism).
• Uneven bite patterns that exert excessive force on a tooth.
• Weakened enamel from decay or fillings.

WHEN A CHIPPED TOOTH IS A DENTAL EMERGENCY

If the top half of your tooth has chipped off or a big chunk has vertically split off, leaving a gap, it’s a dental emergency. Such chipping will inevitably include sharp pain, bleeding, and disrupting your bite and chewing ability. Affected teeth that are loose or now have jagged edges that cut into your cheek or tongue should also be considered an emergency. Even a more minor, less noticeable chip should be treated as a dental emergency if it causes related symptoms and/or has exposed the dentin or pulp.

WHEN A CHIPPED TOOTH IS NOT AN EMERGENCY

A minor chipped tooth that doesn’t cause pain, bleeding, bite problems, or other issues is likely not a dental emergency. However, you should still have it examined and treated by a dentist. Your dentist can assess the chipped tooth to determine whether its impact on the enamel could encourage tooth decay, infection, or further breakage. If the chip has affected the beauty of your smile, your dentist can determine which cosmetic dentistry option will best keep you smiling.

WHAT TO DO IF YOU THINK YOUR CHIPPED TOOTH IS AN EMERGENCY

You should take several actions if you suffer a severe chipped tooth. If the chipped tooth is just one consequence of an accident that caused other injuries, seek emergency medical care as necessary. Otherwise, contact an emergency dentist as soon as possible. Other actions you should take in response to an emergency chipped tooth include:

• Rinse your mouth with warm water.
• Find and preserve the chipped tooth fragment and keep it moist by placing it in milk or under the gumline.
• Apply clean gauze to stop any blood flow from the affected teeth.
• Avoid chewing on the affected side of your face.
• If newly emergent sharp tooth edges cause discomfort, protect your mouth by covering the tooth with dental wax.
• Avoid hot, cold, and sugary foods.
• Apply a cold compress outside the cheek near the affected tooth to reduce pain and inflammation.

HOW ISLAND TOWER DENTISTRY TREATS CHIPPED TEETH

Island Tower Dentistry strives to provide same-day emergency dental appointments in Marco Island and Naples. If you believe your chipped tooth represents a dental emergency, contact our office immediately at 239-394-1004, and if calling after hours, carefully listen to and follow the recorded instructions. If your chipped tooth is not an emergency, one of our dentists will try to schedule an appointment to evaluate the damage as soon as possible. Treatment options for severe and minor chipped tooth repair at Island Tower Dentistry include:

• Root canal or dental implant if the chip exposes pulp.
• Crowns.
• Dental veneers.
• Tooth-colored fillings.
• Bonding.
• Smoothing and polishing shallow chips.

Island Tower Dentistry is committed to ensuring patient comfort and addressing dental issues with the most advanced technologies to help keep our patients smiling confidently.

HAVE A CHIPPED TOOTH EMERGENCY IN MARCO ISLAND?—CONTACT US TODAY!

Whether your chipped tooth represents an emergency or not, you should always have any damage evaluated by a dental expert, like those at Southwest Florida’s Island Tower Dentistry. We respond promptly to dental emergencies and schedule an appointment as quickly as possible if you attempt to reach us after hours. For non-emergency chipped teeth, we will also work to schedule a near-term appointment to assess the damage and prevent any further complications. You can contact our office at 239-394-1004 for emergency care or to book an appointment. Again, if calling after hours, please listen to the recorded instructions for details on contacting our emergency dentist.