What Treatments Are There for Chipped Teeth?
The team at Silvers Family Dental Care has helped numerous patients in the Harrisburg area have healthy, beautiful smiles. When patients come to us with serious issues with chipped or cracked teeth, for instance, we offer advanced restorative dentistry treatments to repair dental damage.
Let's consider the problems posed by chipped teeth and what we can do to help patients in need.
The Aesthetic Flaws Related to Chipped Teeth
When you have teeth that are chipped or cracked, they can cause a number of cosmetic flaws. In a few cases, the chip may be quite noticeable, making an otherwise perfect smile look quite flawed. This can translate into self-consciousness on your part, making you hesitant to smile, speak, or laugh, even around people whom you've known for years.
The Dental Health Problems Related to Chipped Teeth
In addition to causing issues with smile aesthetics, chipped teeth can also cause a number of dental health problems. The chips can lead to a weakening of the tooth structure, making more serious damage to the teeth more likely in the process. Left untreated, a more serious problem may arise, including root canal infection or a major break in the tooth structure.
Dental Bonding for Minor Chips
When you have a very small chip on a tooth, the best option for treatment is typically the use of dental bonding. This involves the application of a tooth-colored resin to the tooth. Painting this tooth-colored material on the tooth helps conceal the chip from view, making your smile look pristine in the process.
In addition to treating tooth chips and cracks, dental bonding can also be used to conceal tooth stains and spots of discoloration, fill in minor gaps between teeth, and even address minor tooth decay.
Porcelain Veneers for More Serious Cosmetic Chips
For more serious chips that are still an aesthetic issue in nature, the ideal treatment to consider is porcelain veneers. These thin, tooth-colored shells are adhered to the front of a chipped tooth. This masks the chip and restores the full appearance of the tooth. Since porcelain veneers are semi-translucent, they blend in seamless with the rest of your tooth structure.
Like dental bonding, porcelain veneers can also be used to treat stains and fill small gaps, though veneers can also address serious spacing issues and improve the shape of a tooth as well.
Inlays and Onlays for Major Chips
When a major chip has occurred, a dental restoration is generally the best option. That's where inlays and onlays are worth considering. Inlays and onlays work much like dental fillings, though they are larger and able to repair more of a tooth's overall structure. Inlays and onlays can even be used to rebuild the cusps (biting surfaces) of the teeth.
Dental Crowns When Chips Are Severe
When a major chip has claimed the majority of your healthy tooth structure, the best option to consider for treatment is a dental crown. Dental crowns are substantial dental restorations that cap the remaining healthy structure of a tooth. This protects the tooth from further harm while also restoring a patient's ability to bite and chew with assured confidence.
Contact Silvers Family Dental Care
For more information about treating chipped teeth and making your smile look its best, be sure to contact our family dentistry practice today. The team at Silvers Family Dental Care looks forward to your visit and discussing these matters with you in much greater detail.