Can You Put Off Getting A Chipped Tooth Fixed?

2 December 2020
 Categories: Dentist, Blog


Many people will experience having at least one chipped tooth during their lifetime. This may be due to structural weakness of the tooth because of an underlying disease or even from something as common as an injury during a car accident or sports event. In any case, if you have a recently chipped tooth and are considering putting off getting help for it, you should know that it's an unwise choice to do so. Here's why you should consider getting help for your tooth sooner than later.

Pain

For some people with chipped teeth, there's pain right away, while others experience little to none. This is that it's entirely dependent upon where your tooth experiences the chip.

The nerves necessary for detecting pain, heat, and cold, among other things, aren't present in the entirety of the tooth. They're kept in the inner pulp of the tooth, under the hard enamel layer and dentin. If this part of the tooth is impacted, it can result in pain. However, even if you're not feeling pain now, if you don't get help soon, there's a chance that could change. As the damaged edge of the tooth continues to get worn away, the interior of the tooth could become exposed and result in a lot of discomfort.

Worsening

In addition to simple wear and tear, it's entirely possible for a chipped tooth to develop a second chip or break. This is because a tooth is intended to transfer the pressure of each bite across the entire surface of the tooth. If an edge sticks out because part of the tooth has broken away, it may not be strong enough to withstand the force for long. As a result, you can end up having the tooth break again, which can not only result in a lot of pain but could even mean having to extract the tooth in order to solve the problem, rather than just fixing it with a crown or filling.

Infection

Lastly, one of the worst things that could happen with your tooth right now has a risk that goes up the longer your tooth is damaged. That risk is infection.

When the interior of the tooth is exposed via a chip or break, it's possible for bacteria to get into the softer tissues of the tooth and to cause an infection. When this happens, it can not only cause a lot of pain, but it can cause the tooth to die from the inside out. This will ultimately mean having the tooth extracted and needing antibiotics.

The short version of all this is that if you have a chipped tooth, you should get help for it right away. Doing so will be a quick and easy process and can save you from a lot of problems going forward. If you think your tooth has chipped, visit a general dentist like Dr. Jon Douglas Lesan, DDS, RpH, PA


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