Human teeth are strong enough to handle most daily life situations as long as they’re taken care of correctly. That includes proper daily home oral health care and regular dental checkups. But sometimes life throws a curve ball and the teeth suffer in the process. Contact sports activity, accidents or injuries, and even biting into a bone or other hard item while enjoying a social event or at your favorite restaurant can lead to a chipped or fractured tooth. A chipped tooth is an incomplete fracture where the tooth either splits into hairline cracks or splits significantly from the crown. Most chipped teeth are molars, but a chip or fracture can occur on any tooth within the mouth. And when that occurs, it’s essential to contact your New York City cosmetic dentist for simple but effective repair options. But what can they do to repair a chipped tooth?
Cosmetic Tooth Bonding
If the cracks or chips are small and uncomplicated, the first suggestion will likely involve cosmetic tooth bonding. This non-evasive solution is just as effective as other options for the right need and often takes less than an hour to fix a single tooth. Resin is applied to the tooth then shaped and cured with a special light. Once the bonding sets, it’s polished so all that’s left behind is a beautiful “new” tooth.
Porcelain Tooth Crown
Tooth damage caused by cracks, chips, holes, and cavities can create severe weakness and compromise far more than the tooth itself. Such damage can also eat at the pulp and lead to serious problems due to extensive bacteria and decay buildup. Porcelain crowns are customized solutions to resemble the visible tooth and replace the entire structure, so the damage can stop and the functionality of the tooth can be completely restored. Crowns are available in multiple materials and even affixed to a bridge to correct more than one tooth. But the most common type is a porcelain tooth crown. This procedure requires two visits to complete the process and return your smile to its full potential.
Porcelain Veneers
If you’ve ever wanted the perfect red carpet-ready smiles of your favorite celebrities, porcelain veneers are the instant beauty solution. These wafer-thin shells fit right over the existing teeth and create the appearance of dental perfection. While they are an investment, they conceal and correct multiple dental concerns including serious stains, misaligned or crooked teeth, gaps, cracks, and chips. The shells are about the thickness of a contact lens, fit right over existing teeth, and are irreversible since a minimal amount of enamel needs to be removed for proper placement and bonding. However, if you’d prefer the option of reversing your decision down the road, prepless veneers or Lumineers may be more viable options.
Dental Implants
The condition and stability of a tooth can vary based on where cracks and chips occur on the structure. According to the American Dental Association (ADA), if a crack or chip develops just below the gumline, that tooth should be replaced with a dental implant. This is a surgical procedure that involved implanting a metal root and topping it with a prosthetic tooth crown. But once the implant is completed, it’s also a permanent way to ensure full functionality of the newly replaced “tooth”. Contact your New York City cosmetic dentist today to see which option best suits your needs.
