Whether you chewed on hard candy, or you got carried away with a glass of wine and chipped your front tooth, you are not alone. More than half of the patients at North Pointe Dental Associates, home to some of the best dentists in Tampa, come in looking for restorative work.
If you suddenly have a chipped or a broken tooth, it is vital to visit your dentist right away. If you don’t fix the chipped tooth right away, it is more than likely to worsen or even get infected. In the meantime, the best you can do is address the pain and prevent any further injury.
What to do right after you chip a tooth
The damage to your tooth might be slight or extensive, depending on the condition of your tooth. But regardless of the type of damage, the first thing you need to do is rinse your mouth with lukewarm salt water to prevent infection. Depending on the extent of the injury, you might want to take Ibuprofen to diminish the pain while you wait for your dentist appointment with a Tampa emergency dentist, such as those on staff at North Pointe Dental Associates.
Remember to stick to a soft diet, since the chipped tooth might become sensitive after the chipped tooth injury. Keep in mind that the edges of the tooth may become jagged, so you need to avoid further injury to your cheek and tongue by placing wax paraffin on the damaged tooth.
Using temporary tooth repair kits
Temporary tooth repair kits are available both online and in drugstores and can be used while you wait for your dentist’s appointment. They usually contain dental wax and materials that can be molded to fill out the chipped area. It’s important to keep in mind that these kits are a temporary cosmetic solution and do not prevent infection, tooth loss, and other complications.
How the best dentists in Tampa fix a chipped tooth
North Pointe Dental Associates is home to the best North Tampa dentists who deal with chipped teeth on a daily basis. Depending on the severity of the damage, possible treatment plans include polishing, filling or bonding, dental veneers, and a dental cap or crown.
If the damage is slight, your Tampa dentist may simply polish the jagged edges. This is also known as cosmetic contouring. When bonding, your dentist will scrape the tooth slightly, apply tooth-colored composite resin, and shape it, which can be done in a single visit.
In some cases, your dentist might recommend dental veneers – thin covers that stick to your teeth and are custom made to meet your specific needs. If you lost a substantial portion of your tooth, you might need to have it capped with a crown to preserve the tooth and improve its aesthetic appearance.
With some of the best Tampa cosmetic dentists on staff, North Pointe Dental Associates will focus on delivering the highest quality of dental care. If you chipped your tooth and you are looking for a Tampa emergency dentist, call (813) 961-1727 to schedule an appointment with one of the top-rated dentists in Tampa.
