You’re eating lunch, and you bite down on something hard. There’s a sudden crunch that doesn’t belong to your food. You run your tongue over the spot, and sure enough, there’s a rough edge where there wasn’t one before. You have a chipped tooth. Now what?
At TotallySmiles, we hear this story a lot. People chip a tooth on popcorn kernels, damage one on an olive pit, or notice over time that their teeth just don’t look as even as they used to. The good news is, not every nick or chip is an emergency. But some of them do need attention sooner rather than later. Here’s how to tell the difference.
The Everyday Wear and Tear
Life happens. Teeth take a beating. Over the years, you might notice:
- Small chips along the edges of your front teeth
- Flattened chewing surfaces on your back teeth
- Tiny fractures that don’t seem to bother you
These are often just part of getting older. If a chip is purely cosmetic, meaning it doesn’t hurt, doesn’t trap food, and doesn’t bother you, you might decide to just leave it alone. That’s totally fine. Some patients choose to smooth out a rough edge, and others decide they’re fine with a little character.
We’ll never push you to fix something that’s not causing problems.
When It’s More Than Just Cosmetic
But not all damage is created equal. Here’s when we usually recommend stepping in:
- Pain or sensitivity: If the tooth hurts when you bite down, or if it’s sensitive to hot, cold, or sweet things, that’s a sign the damage may go deeper than the surface.
- A visible line or dark spot: If you can see a fracture extending across the tooth, or if there’s a dark shadow around it, that could mean the tooth is splitting.
- Catching on floss: If floss shreds or catches when you’re cleaning a certain tooth, that often means there’s a chip that’s trapping fibers.
- Worn-down teeth: If your teeth look shorter than they used to, you might be grinding at night. That’s not just cosmetic. It can affect your bite and lead to jaw pain over time.
In these cases, leaving it alone can make things worse. A small chip can turn into a big one. A worn tooth can become a sensitive tooth.
What We Can Do About It
We have a lot of options for fixing chipped or worn teeth. The right one depends on the damage.
- For small chips or cosmetic issues, we can usually do bonding, just adding a little tooth-colored resin to fill in the missing piece. It takes about one visit and it’s a simple, affordable fix.
- For larger chips or worn teeth, a crown (like our CEREC same-day crowns) might be the better choice. It covers the whole tooth and protects it from splitting further.
- For grinding, we can make you a custom nightguard to protect your teeth while you sleep. It won’t stop the grinding, but it’ll reduce the damage.
When to Call Us
If you’ve got a chip and you’re not sure what to do, call us at 301-701-5861 or request an appointment online. We’ll take a look, tell you what we see, and give you our honest opinion. Sometimes that opinion is “you don’t need to do anything right now.” And we’re okay with that.
Our team has been caring for smiles in Gaithersburg since 1973. Over the years, we’ve seen a little bit of everything. We know what’s urgent and what can wait, and we’ll always be straight with you about which is which. From our family to yours, we’re here to keep your smile strong, whether that means fixing something now or just keeping an eye on it.