The Aesthetic Benefits of Repairing a Chipped Tooth

The Aesthetic Benefits of Repairing a Chipped Tooth

Chipped teeth are not uncommon and can happen for a wide range of reasons. Despite this, they can cause further damage if not treated quickly. As well as the potential for physical concerns linked to your dental health, a chipped tooth can also have a negative impact on your self-image and confidence levels.

If you’re suffering with the consequences of a chipped tooth, getting it fixed is in your best interests. If you’re lucky enough to have avoided the physical side effects, it’s still important to get your chip fixed to prevent further damage. In this guide, we’ll focus on the aesthetic benefits of repairing a chipped tooth. Read on to find out how repairing a chip can restore your smile… and your confidence!

Restore a Natural Appearance

Even if you have a minor chip in your tooth, it can cause discrepancies with your appearance that you (and others) will inevitably pick up on. Humans are acutely aware of even the slightest of differences in others’ appearances, and though it may not seem like a big deal, people do notice these small changes.

Attain Smile Symmetry

The symmetry of teeth is something many of us take for granted, but a chipped tooth can compromise the natural symmetry of your smile. This can make your bite feel and look disjointed. Even a small chip can make a big impact when it comes to the balance of our teeth.

Boost Self Confidence

If you have a chipped or missing tooth, you might find yourself trying to hide it out of embarrassment. Smiling, talking and simple everyday interactions can feel like more of a chore if this is the case. While it may seem silly that a small chip can have such an impact, the psychological effect that it can have on our self-confidence is clear.

Prevent Further Damage

With time, a chipped tooth can also lead to other physical and aesthetic concerns that impact how we feel about our smile.

• Wear and tear. Irregular contact between certain teeth can cause uneven wear and tear.
  
• Damage to soft tissue. Chipped teeth often also have sharp edges that can hurt the tongue or gums.
  
• Vulnerability. A chipped tooth is naturally more vulnerable to breaking or chipping further. A chipped tooth is also likely to lead to infection if bacteria enter the inner layers of the tooth that are exposed.
  
• Infection. As a chipped tooth can lead to infection, it’s worth knowing about the symptoms related to this potentially life-threatening issue. Although serious dental infections from a chipped tooth are rare, they can happen. Due to the mouth’s proximity to the neck, any dental infection could quickly prove to be much more serious than anticipated. An infection may be accompanied with symptoms including pain, sensitivity, swelling or inner pulp tissue death – resulting in the tooth changing colour.

To prevent further damage to your teeth and overall oral health, it’s important you get a chipped tooth repaired or restored. Booking an emergency dental appointment will help get things on the right track. Even if you don’t have painful or physical symptoms, a visit to the dentist is necessary.

How to Repair a Chipped Tooth

A chipped tooth can be repaired in a number of ways. The most suitable treatment or procedure will depend on where the chipped tooth is, how deep the chip goes, and how big the chip is. Your dentist can help determine whether a cosmetic or general dentistry approach is best for your situation. Here are some of the treatment options available:

Composite Bonding

Composite bonding is a non-invasive way to restore a chipped tooth. As a versatile way to repair or enhance the appearance of teeth, composite bonding is a popular treatment. It can be performed in one sitting at the dental clinic, so you can have a quick repair completed within a matter of hours.

To prepare the teeth for bonding, the dentist will roughen up the surface so the composite resin fully adheres to the area. The resin will then be applied and sculpted to match the rest of your teeth for a natural look. A curing light is then used to bond everything in place.

Filling

For chips to bigger teeth such as molars, where the interior of the tooth may have chipped, fillings might be the best approach. Your dentist will first examine and then thoroughly clean the chipped tooth, removing any areas that may be susceptible to further damage.

Composite resin materials are often used for fillings, as they give a natural and discreet finish that can be matched to suit the shade of the surrounding tooth. Once applied, the material will be shaped and hardened using a curing light. If an amalgam filling (metals, often silver or gold) is used, it will set quickly.

Once set, your dentist will check your bite with the filling in place. If required, the filling will be filed down for comfort. The tooth will then be polished to ensure that your smile and the function of the tooth are fully restored.

Composite or Porcelain Veneers

Veneers involve the careful application of a specially formulated composite resin or porcelain covering that encapsulates the tooth and rebuilds the missing area. Veneers are similar to composite bonding in that they restore and cover areas of the teeth, however veneers offer more coverage that can help with more extensive chipping.

Composite veneers use the same resin-based material as composite bonding, while porcelain veneers are more expensive but offer a more realistic and longer lasting finish.

Chipped Tooth Repair with Ringway Dental

At Ringway Dental in Manchester, we offer a range of solutions that can help repair and restore chipped teeth. Fillings, veneers and composite bonding are all areas we specialise in as cosmetic dentists, and we have been repairing chipped teeth for decades. Paired with our expertise in offering bespoke cosmetic solutions for our clients, our skilled team are known for their ability to enhance smiles.

For an initial consultation, call our reception team on 0161 437 2029. Alternatively, you can contact us online with any queries.

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