We’ve all been there: when we bite down on hard candy or a fork, knife or spoon, and we hear the hard crunch or crack of enamel breaking. This can be terrifying for health, physical, and cosmetic reasons. The first reaction of many is to cover their face until they can fix the issue. Luckily, the fast work of a New Hyde Park dental professional can help fix a tooth quickly so you can work, spend time with family, and pursue leisure activities.
How do I care for my chipped tooth immediately?
A broken tooth should be immediately fixed by a dentist as soon as possible. Any delay can only lead to a worsening of the condition. While you get your appointment scheduled with a New Hyde Park dentist, you may want to take over the counter acetaminophen for the pain. You can also cover the tooth, if it is jagged, with a small piece of wax paper or sugarless chewing gum to stop it from cutting into your tongue. If you need to eat, have soft foods that will not further worsen the chipping of the tooth.
How does a dentist fix my broken tooth?
Depending on the severity of the chip, it may be a relatively simple fix through filling or a resin-based process called bonding for a front crack tooth, so the damage is not noticeable. Bonding is a simple process where a dentist applies an adhesive to your chop tooth and then adds a tooth colored resin to fill in the chipped part of your tooth. After the dentist has ensured your broken front tooth resembles your natural tooth, he or she will expose it to safe radiation to harden it.
However, if a larger piece of your tooth breaks off, your dentist may opt for a dental cap or crown to fix your chipped tooth. Your dentist may file away part of your tooth so that he or she can place a porcelain or resin dental cap or crown on top of your cracked tooth. This fix for a more severe chop tooth may also involve a root canal or canal therapy, which helps ensure the underlying root of the tooth is preserved while the cosmetic exterior is replaced. Thus protecting against lasting and sometimes lifelong damage to your mouth.
Crowns are usually a more intensive process than adhering resin to your Broken tooth. They usually require at least two visits to our dental office to complete, so a New Hyde Park dentist can provide you with a temporary crown and then, after a couple of weeks, a more permanent crown. There may be other alternatives, such as a dental veneer, for other cases that we can pursue in treating your cracked tooth.
What if I have more questions about how to tooth fix?
Call our Dentist Lake Success office today so you can get all of your questions answered about how our dentist can fix your tooth, and to schedule an appointment as soon as possible.
