Ouch! I just broke a tooth, what are my options?

A chipped tooth can happen at any time and can really ruin your day. An accidental fall or glass bottle can lead to the frightening occurrence of a chipped tooth. However, there’s no need to panic, there are many options to repairing your broken tooth. First, the level of severity of the tooth chip needs to be assessed. We will be going through the different levels of chipping and the options that you have. 

2. Medium Chip  A medium chip is one that is bigger than a grain of rice. The remedies for medium chip vary and can depend on the size of the chip, the integrity of the remaining tooth, and if you were able to save the broken remainder of your tooth. 

i. Cementation: If the chip is the size of at least two rice grains and you were able to save the chipped portion of your tooth then you might be able to cement the chip back on. An experienced dentist will be able to cement your tooth back on without a visible line evidencing the crack. The remaining tooth can be cemented back on and a wire may be placed behind the tooth to help maintain the tooth’s strength and integrity. 

ii. The wire placed on the back of the tooth should be placed there permanently to reduce the risk of chipping the tooth.

iv. Veneer: A veneer may be a good option for your chipped tooth if you are worried about your bonded tooth not matching your natural teeth. A veneer covers the front of the tooth and may cover some of the back of the tooth as long as it will not affect your bite. However, a veneer is not viable if the chip is too large or if the remaining tooth lacks the integrity to support the veneer.