Your tooth enamel is one of the hardest biological substances known to man. At the same time, it is only hard enough to allow your teeth to bite, chew and grind tough foods. Unfortunately, there are instances when something can chip a tooth. This could be as traumatic as a blow to the face or as mundane as grinding your teeth at night.
If chipped tooth enamel isn’t repaired in a timely manner, it could invite a new area of tooth decay to form. The depth and severity of the chip will influence the treatment options that your dentist, Dr. Timothy Collier, recommends for the tooth.
A minor chip in a tooth can sometimes be repaired with a basic dental filling or cosmetic bonding procedure. If a filling is called for, it will likely be made from either porcelain, composite resin, gold, or amalgam. The material of choice will be determined by the chip’s location on the tooth, its size, and the tooth’s prevalence in your smile.
If the chip is large or on the biting surface of a tooth, your dentist might recommend restoring all of the tooth enamel with a dental crown. This is a two-step process that involves replacing the entire tooth enamel layer with a crown made from either porcelain, gold, or base metal alloys.
If you have a chipped tooth in Manchester, Iowa, you should call 563-927-4746 to schedule an appointment at Dental Associates of Manchester.