What Causes Chipped Teeth? And How Can You Prevent Them?

Chipping a tooth can be painful, inconvenient, and costly to restore. But understanding what causes dental chips and fractures helps you safeguard your smile. With simple precautions, you can avoid joining the millions who chip teeth each year.

What are the most common causes of chipped teeth?

Life’s normal wear and tear takes a toll on teeth. The main culprits cracking tooth structure include:

• Sports Injuries – Contact sports often cause direct blows, knocking enamel. Mouthguards are crucial protection.
• Trauma – Accidents and falls where teeth hit hard objects lead to fractures and breaks.
• Clenching/Grinding – Chronic stress and tension magnifies extreme pressures up to 6 times normal chewing force.
• Chewing Hard Items – Habitually crunching hard foods like ice or nuts stresses tooth crown material.

How can I prevent chipped teeth?

While some fracture causes remain unpredictable flukes, you CAN minimize risks by:

• Wearing custom mouthguards for contact sports.
• Treating grinding/clenching with a nightguard.
• Avoiding using teeth to open items or as tools.
• Going easy on hard, crunchy, chewy foods.
• Getting prompt care for suspected cracks.

Save thousands in restorations with simple prevention!

What are the symptoms of a chipped tooth?

Catching dental fractures early improves outcomes. Notice symptoms like:

• Sharp tooth pain when chewing or with cold foods/drinks.
• New tooth sensitivity to sweet foods.
• Jagged tooth edges felt by tongue or lips.
• Changes in tooth shape, size, or alignment.
• Swelling/bleeding from damaged pulp tissue.

Seek help immediately at the first sign of injury. Cracks rapidly grow worse without treatment.

How is a chipped tooth diagnosed?

We examine teeth closely under bright light for any fracture signs, testing pulp vitality. Assessing bite alignment also determines causes like malocclusion or grinding. X-rays may visualize unseen tooth roots or bone injuries needing priority care first.

Advanced technologies like cone beam CT scans, microscopic imaging, and computer models determine crack depth and direction precisely.

What are the treatment options for a chipped tooth?

The treatment plan targets urgent issues like infection risk and restorative care to rebuild and reinforce the fractured tooth. We may:

• Gently smooth rough edges.
• Prescribe antibiotics and pain relievers.
• Recommend a soft foods diet temporarily.
• Place resin composite fillings, veneers, or dental crowns to restore form and function.
• Perform root canal therapy if pulp tissue damage exists.

With multiple stresses fracturing today’s teeth, full-coverage crowns prevent further breakdown.

How can I fix a chipped tooth at home?

The only safe temporary home care is rinsing carefully to clear debris from the injured site. Seek professional chipped teeth treatment ASAP – don’t delay!

It would help if you did NOT attempt these unsafe, damaging measures:

• Trying to glue fragments back on.
• Filing down sharp edges by yourself.
• Utilizing over-the-counter dental products or teeth whitening treatments.

Doing so risks more severe infection and complications. Avoid worsening the situation until you obtain a proper diagnosis and chipped teeth repair from your local dentist in Ellicott City.

accidents happen, trust Julian Center for Comprehensive Dentistry to promptly treat emergent dental trauma, relieve discomfort, and restore the beauty of your smile.