Are you wondering if anything can be done to hide the unsightly chip in your tooth? There is nothing you can do to regrow the missing tooth material. However, there are cosmetic dental applications that can completely conceal the imperfection. Here are a few of them:
Dental Bonding
Dental bonding uses a soft, pliable composite resin material that can be applied to the tooth and shaped to properly fill in the missing area. Once the composite material is in position, a special light is applied to harden it in place. Composite resin can be matched to the color of your tooth, so once the restoration is complete, the chip should no longer be noticeable.
Dental Crown
A dental crown is a hollow cap that is placed over the tooth to beautify it and protect it from further damage. Dental crowns can be made from gold, metal alloy or stainless steel. However, there are also tooth-colored crowns; they are fashioned from porcelain, porcelain-over-metal or resin.
Porcelain and porcelain-over-metal crowns are usually placed in two days. The first day, a mold of the chipped tooth is made, and the impression is sent to a dental laboratory. At the lab, the permanent crown is constructed from the dental impression. However, a second dental visit is required for the placement of the permanent crown.
Still, same-day porcelain crowns can be placed during a single appointment. These crowns are created by an in-office computerized milling machine from digital images of your mouth.
Veneers
A veneer is a slender piece of porcelain or resin that can be affixed to the front surface of the chipped tooth. The veneer hides the chip in your tooth. In addition, the veneer is color-matched to your other teeth so it fits seamlessly.
A chip in a tooth does not always compromise the health of the tooth. If the chip does not expose the deeper layers of the tooth, such as the dentin or pulp, the damage could be purely cosmetic, and the dental repair should be fairly simple.
To have the chip in your tooth examined, schedule an appointment with a cosmetic dentist in your area, like Wallington Dental. He or she will be able to determine the extent of the damage and prescribe a cosmetic treatment option that is suitable for your specific case. Be sure not to procrastinate. Sometimes, minor chips can progress into more serious issues if they are not properly addressed in a timely manner.
