A chipped tooth is where the tooth enamel is missing, exposing the more sensitive layer of the tooth, which is prone to dental decay and cavities. The tooth could be missing a small piece of enamel or have a crack. In accidents like slipping and falling, a tooth could develop a break in it, which is another type of chipped tooth.
Slightly chipped teeth alter your smile, and the pockets where the chips are can become stained. Deeper chips can develop dental decay and, eventually, cavities. Untreated chipped teeth lead to infections in the tooth’s interior and root.
Chipped teeth occur when the enamel layer, which protects teeth from cavities and infections, is damaged. It is important to have this damage repaired as soon as possible to prevent other dental issues and problems. The type of treatment required to fix a chipped tooth depends on the extent of the damage. At URBN Dental, our Houston area offices offer personalized treatment plans to help restore your smile, including same-day emergency appointments with our highly skilled emergency dentists.
Some of the more common risk factors that can cause chipped teeth are:
The most common causes of chipped teeth are:
Symptoms of a chipped tooth will vary based on the extent of damage but could include:
Because signs aren’t always present, you may not know if you have impacted wisdom teeth. But there are some warning alerts. If you have any of the following wisdom tooth pain symptoms or signs of impacted wisdom teeth, consult your dentists in Midtown and Uptown immediately.
Until you can see a dentist, you need to care for the chipped tooth using one or more of these methods:
Untreated chipped teeth can lead to different complications the longer they go untreated. Initially, minor chips may only be some changes in how you chew and bite down. Over time, other issues can develop, including:
Several chipped tooth treatments are available from our Houston dentists, depending on the severity of the chip.
At URBN Dental, all our dental offices in the Houston area reserve time each day for dental emergencies. So, you can be seen the same day for a chipped tooth, especially when experiencing pain, discomfort, swelling, or sensitivity
While you cannot prevent every type of chipped tooth, there are several things you can do to reduce your risks, such as:
A chipped tooth could be considered a dental emergency when large chips are missing from the tooth, or it’s cracked or broken. It should also be regarded as a dental emergency if you are experiencing pain, swelling, discomfort, sensitivity, or bleeding.
In cases where minor chips are missing, while not necessarily a dental emergency, you should not put off having the tooth repaired. Generally, you should try to have it fixed within a week or two of discovering the chips.
The cost to fix a chipped tooth will vary based on the extent of damage to the tooth. Factors that influence the cost include:
At URBN Dental, we accept all major PPO insurance plans and are a preferred Delta Dental PPO provider. Our caring and compassionate dental team can help verify your coverage and provide you with an estimate to have a chipped tooth fixed. We also offer easy-financing options with affordable monthly payments.
Once a tooth has been chipped and the enamel removed, it will not grow new enamel. While a chipped tooth will not heal, it can be repaired and restored using the appropriate dental treatments.
Sources:
Chew on This: Ice Crunching and Your Teeth. (2023).
How Night Guards Help with Teeth Grinding. (2023).
What Is Tooth Bonding? (2023).
If you have chipped teeth, do not leave them untreated, as it can lead to other dental problems that will be more costly to fix later. The sooner you have chipped teeth treated, the better. It is easy to have chipped teeth treated in Houston at URBN Dental with our emergency same-day appointments.
URBN Dental Implants &
Invisalign | Uptown
Dentist in Houston, Texas
Address: 2400 Mid Ln #350,
Houston, TX 77027, United States
Phone: (713) 322-8442
Fax: (281) 516-8296
URBN Dental Implants &
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Dentist in Houston, Texas
Address: 3510 Main St Ste E, Houston, TX 77002, United States
Phone: (346) 712-1946
Fax: (281) 720-8002
URBN Dental Implants &
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Dentist in Houston, Texas
Address: 3201 Allen Pkwy Ste #E200,
Houston, TX 77019, United States
Phone: (281) 826-1917
Fax: (281) 404-7444
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Dentist in Houston, Texas
Address: 803 W Sam Houston Pkwy N #124, Houston, TX 77024, United States
Phone: (281) 843-5814
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Address: 94 W Grand Pkwy S Suite 240, Katy, TX 77494, United States
Phone: (832) 224-2174
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Address: 714 Yale St 2Z,
Houston, TX 77007, United States
Phone: (281) 843-5897
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Address: 2921 Riverby Road, Suite 110 Houston, TX 77020
Phone: (832) 376-8438
Fax: (281) 652-5027
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Address: 8143 Long Point Rd,
Houston, TX 77055, United States
Phone: (832) 306-3510
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Address: 6363 San Felipe St #200b,
Houston, TX 77057, United States
Phone: (281) 549-5100
Fax: (281) 407-6185
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Dentist in Houston, Texas
Address: 5578 Weslayan St,
Houston, TX 77005, United States
Phone: (281) 219-8971
Fax: (713) 263-3326
URBN Dental Implants &
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Dentist in Houston, Texas
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