What Can Happen If You Don’t Treat a Chipped Tooth?

If you have a chipped tooth, you should contact us as soon as possible. Not treating a chipped tooth in a timely manner will cause significant problems down the line.

Here is a look at how the failure to seek proper treatment for a chipped tooth will hinder your oral health.

Leaving a Chipped Tooth Untreated

Without professional treatment, the broken tooth is susceptible to an infection that will only get worse over time. This infection can move to the neck and head, causing all sorts of health problems. While rare, it is possible for a chipped tooth to prove life-threatening.

Do not let this happen to you.  Meet with a dentist after chipping your tooth to help reduce the pain, ensuring the chip does not lead to additional problems.

Why Visiting With the Dentist is Necessary

It does not matter if you have minor symptoms, no symptoms at all or considerable pain. An analysis of your chipped tooth is necessary to preserve your oral health. The failure to obtain timely treatment at a dentist's office will cause the pain to linger. Removing the tooth may also become a solution. While your chipped tooth might not spur immediate pain, an infection can set in and compromise your oral health as well as your health as a whole.

If the tooth hurts, changes color or proves sensitive to heat, the pulp portion of the tooth might have serious damage. You need the trained eye of a dentist to determine if the root has any damage or if there is a possible infection. An infection can occur if the break is severe enough to expose the tooth's pulp.

The pulp is the portion of the tooth containing blood vessels and nerves. Bacteria that moves into the mouth has the potential to move to the pulp and cause an infection. It is possible for pulp tissue to die as a result of the chip.

Treatment Options

If you have compromised dental pulp, you will need root canal therapy in order to eliminate the infected tissue and apply a sealing. In some cases, a root canal will prove unnecessary. The manner of repairing the chipped tooth hinges on the extent of the damage.

Minor chips, cracks or breaks can be repaired through dental bonding or a filling. A dental crown will likely be necessary for large breaks. However, if only a small portion of the enamel is missing, a filling can be a repair option. If there is a crack in the front of the tooth, then the dentist will use dental bonding to repair it.

How to Proceed Until You can Meet With the Dentist

You can do a couple things on your own to reduce discomfort before meeting with us. Rinse your mouth with salt water, take a pain reliever and cover the sharp portion of the chip with dental wax. If you do not have dental wax, apply some sugar-free gum to the sharp edge. Restrict your diet to soft foods and do not bite down until you meet with us.

For more information or to schedule an appointment with us, call us today.

Request a dental appointment here: http://downeyfamilydentistry.com or call Downey Family & Cosmetic Dentistry at (562) 320-8414 for an appointment in our Downey dental office.

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