Cracking or chipping a tooth can be an alarming experience, and the appearance of your smile is usually instantly altered when this happens. After the initial fright of damaging your teeth, you might feel as though you can wait to seek treatment treatment of your cracked or chipped tooth. But this isn’t true! Cracked teeth and chipped teeth have more of an effect on your smile than you think, and you should always get checked out by your dentist as soon as possible after the injury to your teeth. Here’s why you should never wait to see a dentist when your tooth has been injured!
Sensitive Teeth
If you’ve chipped your tooth and the size of the chip is relatively small, your dentist may just need to ensure your tooth hasn’t sustained further damage and smooth over the chipped area of the tooth. However, if your chipped or cracked tooth has experienced damage you can’t see, you could experience increased tooth sensitivity. This means your crack or chip has created cracks or an opening in your tooth’s enamel, which allows the inner part of your tooth to be highly sensitive to extreme temperatures, sweet foods, and even cold air!
Cavities
Your tooth’s crack or chip could be more than an unsightly imperfection in your tooth. A crack or chip could create a pathway for bacteria to enter your tooth’s enamel or even your tooth’s nerve. If your tooth’s enamel has been affected by the crack or chip, acidic bacteria may cause an increased risk for cavities in your smile because the enamel is no longer able to properly protect your teeth. If your tooth’s nerve gets infected, you’ll need a root canal treatment or could even risk losing your tooth.
Tooth Loss
A crack or a chip may not seem like a big deal at the time—you likely won’t be able to see or evaluate the extent of the crack or chip with your eyes. A dentist, however, has been trained to see these things and can evaluate your affected tooth for damage. If your tooth has an extensive crack that extends down the root of your tooth or a big chip, you risk losing your tooth if you don’t seek treatment. Your tooth is now extremely vulnerable to infection, sensitivity, and cavities. With an extensive crack or a large chip, you could risk losing your tooth.
Appearance
No one likes the look of chipped teeth. While a small chip will still be noticeable on your front teeth, it likely won’t affect your appearance too much. Larger chips and cracks can create tooth discoloration and pain, which can affect how well you chew, how much you smile, and how proudly you speak. It’s not easy to live with an injured tooth or have an altered appearance as a result of it—make an appointment with your dentist and prevent damage!
Cracked or chipped teeth create problems in your smile that can only be fixed by a professional dentist. Even if your crack or chip looks minor, it could get worse and lead you to lose your tooth. When your tooth has experienced an injury, schedule an appointment with your dentist—you can even bring the chipped part of your tooth, as your dentist may be able to repair the tooth with this!
