New Patients (410) 221-3085

Current Patients (410) 628-6070

1 Texas Station Ct Suite 110 Timonium, MD 21093

Chipped Teeth Timonium, MD

Chipped teeth can range from minor cosmetic chips to a more severe break. It can sometimes be hard to tell the severity of the chip right away. Treatment options can vary greatly, depending on the condition of your tooth. But what’s crucial is that you take care of the chip immediately. Dr. Paul Karpovich can treat chipped teeth in his Timonium, MD, dental office.

Enamel is one of the hardest substances in the body. But even enamel can break sometimes. Chipped teeth can happen due to trauma from falls or if you’re playing contact sports without a mouthguard. Grinding your teeth can cause full chips to come off, or you may bite down wrong on something hard, like ice or hard candy.

Chipped teeth are a common dental concern we can fix in our office. Whether you have a sudden accident or damage due to weakened teeth, we’re here to help.

chipped teeth in timonium, md

Risk Factors for Chipped Teeth

Certain factors can make you more likely to chip a tooth. It makes sense that weaker teeth are more likely to break. Naturally, our tooth enamel starts to wear down over time. As we get older, we’re more likely to chip a tooth. Teeth are softer, and you see more of the dentin layer underneath.

Anything that compromises your tooth enamel will weaken your teeth and make them more likely to fracture. Tooth decay is common yet highly damaging to teeth. Dental infections can create cavities or holes in the enamel. Large dental fillings that treat these holes may also weaken the teeth. You can chip or damage your tooth further if you have a dental infection.

Your diet and medical conditions may also increase your risk of tooth damage. If you’re eating a lot of sugar, bacteria feed off it and release digestive acids that break down your outer tooth layer. Acidic foods and drinks like lemonade or soda weaken the enamel, too.

Acid is one of the most dangerous things for tooth enamel. Conditions like acid reflux and heartburn bring acid up into the mouth frequently. Eating disorders bring acid up as well. If you’re often throwing up and purging, acid is consistently coming up into your mouth and hitting your teeth.

Which Tooth is Most Susceptible to Chipping?

All of your teeth are technically susceptible to chipping. However, studies have shown that certain teeth are more likely to chip than others. The second lower molar seems to be a target for chipping, as it takes on a decent amount of pressure when biting and chewing. Any tooth that’s had fillings is more susceptible to chipping as well.

Why You Should Treat a Chipped Tooth

Treating a chipped tooth is essential to prevent infection and damage. An infection can enter a chip in the tooth and affect the pulp that keeps the tooth alive. As a result, you not only need to treat the chipped tooth, but also infection.

Losing a part of your tooth structure can also affect your bite. After you damage a tooth, you can find it harder to eat properly.  Biting and chewing can damage a chipped tooth further. This makes your daily life uncomfortable and increases your risk of damaging other teeth in your mouth.

What Do I Do if I Chip a Tooth?

If you chip a tooth, avoid panicking. If you can, salvage the piece of the tooth that’s broken off. Put it in a cup of saliva to increase how long it’s viable for replacement. A chip can leave sharp edges on your tooth, endangering your tongue and cheek tissue. Put sugar-free gum or dental wax over the sharp edges to avoid cuts.

Make sure you avoid chewing with the chipped tooth. Take an over-the-counter pain reliever and ice the area if you are experiencing pain. Ice will help lower swelling. If you experience bleeding, gently rinse your mouth and apply a clean cloth or gauze to the area.

You want to make a dental appointment even if you have a smaller tooth chip. If you damage the tooth further, you can develop an infection that exposes the tooth’s interior.

You must visit Dr. Karpovich for immediate treatment if you have a large tooth chip. Dr. Karpovich’s office provides emergency dentistry treatment to help preserve your teeth.

Treating Chipped Teeth in Timonium, MD

There are multiple options we offer to treat a chipped tooth. If you clench and grind your teeth, you can chip your tooth. Continually grinding your teeth can damage them over time. If you have a TMJ disorder, we will recommend a night guard.

We can create a custom acrylic night guard for you to wear during sleep. This night guard will cover and protect the teeth from further wear or damage. Teeth clenching and grinding can chip or crack your teeth. Stopping this harmful habit will lessen your chance of tooth damage and reduce stress on your jaw.

We can also fix chipped teeth with dental bonding treatment. Teeth bonding treatment uses tooth-colored materials to add structure to damaged teeth. Dr. Karpovich color-matches your bonding material to other natural teeth. Color-matching ensures that the treated tooth blends in with the smile.

Dental bonding is a great fix for minor cosmetic imperfections like small tooth chips. We can also provide bonding treatment in just one office visit.

If you have extensive damage to your tooth, we may recommend a dental crown. A crown will cover your damaged tooth like a cap to prevent further damage. We may recommend a root canal or dental extraction in severe cases. This is required if an infection is inside a tooth chip or a patient has severe tooth damage.

Fix Broken Teeth Today

Treat chipped teeth in Timonium, MD, to preserve your smile. Our office offers various treatment methods to ensure your tooth is repaired correctly. Call Dr. Karpovich at (410) 221-3085 or schedule an appointment online. Please let us know if you have questions about treatment for your chipped tooth. Dr. Karpovich will work with you to find the best treatment possible.