Chipped Tooth- Causes, Symptoms & Treatment

Tooth, being one of the strongest parts of our body have to face many strains and stresses that can
result in a chip, crack or break. Suppose you are eating something hard and notice that it doesn’t
melt or dissolve. There might be chances of having a broken tooth. You might not feel any pain in
your teeth unless the chip takes a large place to expose the inner layer of the teeth. If a chipped
tooth exposes the nerves inside teeth, one may notice increased pain while chewing and tooth
sensitivity or when the chipped tooth is exposed to very hot or cold food and beverages. If you have
discovered something wrong with your teeth like if it has broken or chipped, don’t panic, try to
consult your problem with the dentist with an immediate effect as they can do different types of
things to fix this problem.
 Causes Of Chipped Teeth

Chipped teeth have different types of causes. Poor nutrition is one of them. Even if you
grind your teeth at night, you might be appreciating this condition. Eating hard food or
candy, implementing the teeth as a tool like opening a can, biting open a bag, pulling
apart things can lead towards chipped teeth. It can also happen if someone has some
sort of trauma or injury to their face.
 Cracked Tooth Symptoms

Different types of symptoms have been visible in case of a chipped tooth. It contains
irritation of the gum, pain from pressure on the teeth at the time of biting that can
be intense if the chip is near to or exposes the teeth’s nerve. One might feel a jagged
surface when they run their tongue over the teeth. There might be irritation of the
tongue from catching it on the uneven and rough edge of the teeth. There are some
signs and complication of an untreated chipped tooth that contains swollen glands in
neck or jaw, fever, bad taste, bad breath, sensitivity at the time of taking hot or cold
foods and drinks.
 Risk Factors For Chipped Teeth

Large fillings are responsible to weaken down the teeth. Even teeth grinding,
cavities and tooth decay can eat away or wear down enamel. If someone
intakes a lot of acid-producing foods like coffee, fruit juices or spicy foods, it
tends to break down the enamel and leave the teeth’s surface to be
exposed. Sugar can be blamed for producing bacteria in the mouth, and
such types of bacteria can attack the enamel. Heartburn and acid reflux can
also damage the tooth enamel as they can bring stomach acid up into the
mouth of a person.
 Diagnosing A Chipped Tooth

The surgeon can make the diagnosis of a chipped tooth by inspecting the condition of mouth.
Treatment of such tooth basically depends upon its symptoms, severity, and location. There are
things like tooth reattachment, bonding, porcelain veneer, dental onlays, etc. that can prove to be
helpful in diagnosing the chipped tooth.

A chipped, cracked or broken tooth may not be noticeable or hurt. But one must not ignore this by
a thought that it is not causing any trouble to you. No matter how minor the thing is, it is better to
consult with a specialist to maintain good oral hygiene. Infections may take place with a quick
effect, so make sure that you get correct treatment as soon as possible before the problem takes a
big face. With the help of regular check-ups and discussions with the dentist, one can stop
problems like cracks and fractures from developing into peculiarities.
 Complications Of Chipped Teeth

There are different varieties in which teeth can be chipped. It contains sports injuries,
nibbling on a pencil, grinding the teeth at night without the protection of a dental
guard, biting on the nails, etc. Once the tooth enamel gets compromised, plaque and
food particles deposits might begin to accumulate deep within the microscopic
textures of the dental fracture. This process can create a new cavity to originate in the
already distressed tooth. Even if the new cavity is not developing, chipped teeth can
be structurally compromised. It can cause severe dental fracture when chewing or
biting down on something hard.
 Chipped Or Broken Tooth Treatment

If the tooth has been chipped or broken, it is better to move on to the dentist as soon as possible.
If it is not treated on time, there might be damage in the teeth and it can become infected,
possibly causing to end up losing the teeth. Treatment of both chipped and broken tooth depends
on the severity. Talking about the chipped tooth first, if the chip is small, the surgeon might
smooth and polish the teeth. If it involves minor damage to the tooth enamel, they might place a
crown, filling or cap over it to restore its common function and appearance to safeguard the inner
layers of teeth from infection and irritation. If the chip is large, more chances of root canal
treatment arise in order to remove the damaged nerve along with a crown or cap to replace the
chipped tooth.
 Talking about the broken or cracked tooth, if it has been cracked simply, like simple
cracks in the tooth enamel, they may not require treatment and one must consider
their dental professional for evaluation. If it has been seriously cracked, the fracture
may extend from teeth’s chewing surfaces down into tooth root. If someone is
facing a seriously cracked tooth which goes through the tooth enamel’s outer layer
and dentin to exposes the tooth pulp, there are chances for the teeth to become
loose and the gums may bleed. There are some cases in which the cracked tooth
splits vertically. If it happens in one of the molars, the dentist may be able to
salvage one of the two tooth roots that molars have. If it is badly damaged, the
person may need to remove or replace the tooth.

Even a cracked tooth can make its initial birth in the tooth root. Such type of
cracked teeth is obvious and contains pain. They can cause infection and
inflammation at the root of the teeth that often leaves extraction of the teeth as
the only treatment.