Our Cosmetic Dentists Make Chipped Teeth Look New
Our skilled cosmetic dentists can make chipped teeth look better than they did before your accident.
While healthy teeth are quite strong—in fact tooth enamel is the hardest substance in the human body—teeth can still get chipped or broken in the event of an accident. For example, maybe you were playing sports without a mouthguard and you took a blow to the face, maybe you had a bad fall, or maybe you were involved in a car accident. In any case, chipped or broken teeth can be a painful and disfiguring problem, especially if your top front teeth were among the ones that were damaged.
The good news is that a skilled cosmetic dentist, such as those working at California Dental Group, can make your chipped teeth look like new. In fact, in some cases you may end up with a new tooth surface that actually looks more beautiful than your natural tooth and makes your smile prettier than it was before the accident.
Options for Repairing Chipped Teeth
The options that may be available for repairing your chipped or broken teeth depend on the amount of damage that the tooth structure has suffered. Here are the main options in order from least to most damage:
Reshaping: If the chip is very small, the damage may not have actually penetrated through the entire enamel layer to the dentin. In this case, it should be possible to use a high speed drill and polishing discs to smooth out the chipped area so that it is no longer noticeable.
Bonding: When the damage has reached the dentin, the treatment must include measures to cover the dentin or else you will end up with pain or sensitivity in the damaged area. The same material that is used for creating white composite fillings may be used to build up the lost portion of the tooth. This effectively seals off vulnerable tooth pulp from painful stimuli and bacteria, and also creates a highly natural-looking restoration that is customized to match the color and shape of your natural teeth.
Veneers: Bonding does carry a very slight risk of discoloration, especially along the edges of the bonded area. As an alternative, you may wish to consider veneers. This option is also an excellent choice for teeth that may have “died” after becoming chipped. Such teeth tend to darken considerably, but a quality veneer will both cover this discoloration and restore the shape of the tooth. Your cosmetic dentist will help you choose the size, shape, and color of veneer that will best complement your natural smile and then order your custom veneer from a quality dental lab.
Crowns: If a great deal of tooth structure has been lost, a veneer might not be strong enough to fix the problem. In this case a crown can be placed over the tooth to restore both the appearance and the bite functionality of the tooth. Again, crowns are custom-made at a quality dental lab to the exact specs you and your cosmetic dentist decide on.
If you’ve chipped or broken a tooth, please do not hesitate to contact California Dental Group for an appointment with one of our experienced cosmetic dentists.
