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Louisville, KY

A chipped tooth is one of the most common types of dental injuries. Unfortunately, because these chips occur so frequently, people often think they can proceed without having the damage treated. But is this the best course of action? Today on the blog, your cosmetic dentist in Louisville explores just how serious a chipped tooth is, or can become.

What can happen when you chip a tooth?

As mentioned, chipped teeth happen all the time. A chip can occur from crunching on something hard, biting down as you fall down or taking a hard foul in a pick-up basketball game. Maybe the chip is small or barely noticeable. Slight chips can become worse as time passes, leading to full cracks or even a fracture of the tooth.

Breakage is just one of the possible consequences of an untreated chipped tooth. Other issues may include pain, heightened sensitivity or an infection developing in the tooth. Luckily, modern dentistry has several treatment options available to repair your chipped tooth and restore your smile.

Methods to repair a chipped tooth

When it comes to repairing a chipped tooth, you are looking at one of two options:

• Veneers are bonded permanently to the front of the tooth or teeth that are being treated. Exceptional Dentistry works with veneers made of dental porcelain: a beautiful material that is built to last, resists surface stains and has a similar translucency to genuine tooth enamel. It takes two separate appointments to receive veneers. At the first appointment, the affected tooth or teeth are prepared by removing a small portion of the existing tooth structure, so that the veneer makes a flush bond against the front. We take digital impressions, which are sent to a dental laboratory, and receive a temporary restoration while your veneers are fabricated off site. Approximately two weeks later, you return to one of our three locations in Kentuckiana to receive your veneers. With proper care, veneers can last a decade or longer.
• Bonding replaces the missing enamel in a chipped tooth by forming, shaping and affixing a composite material to the damaged tooth. The resin is customized to match the natural shade of your teeth. Then it is applied and sculpted into place, restoring your tooth to its previous undamaged appearance. Bonding is more convenient – a treatment can be completed in a single appointment – and is usually less expensive compared to veneers, which have a higher financial cost because the procedure entails two separate office visits and uses the dental porcelain, which is a more costly material. 

Is bonding or veneers right for me?

Veneers last longer but bonding can be completed in less time with less expense. The best way to answer this question, however, is during your consultation with one of the cosmetic dentists at Exceptional Dentistry. At this meeting, you can discuss your aesthetic goals while one of our dentists evaluates the extent of the damage caused by the chip. From there, we determine the best treatment to repair your chipped tooth.

You cannot afford to ignore a chipped tooth; the consequences may be too great. To find out more about how Exceptional Dentistry can treat a chipped tooth, call (502) 423-7868 or visit us online.