Do you have a broken or chipped tooth? You are not alone. Broken and chipped teeth are a very common dental problem despite enamel, the outer protector of the tooth, being the hardest substance in the body. Chipped/broken teeth can be painful in some instances, however they do not always elicit pain. In fact, it is not uncommon for a broken/chipped tooth to not bother you but that does not mean that it is not a problem.

If you have a broken tooth with no pain, and decide to delay treatment, you could be setting yourself up for more extensive, time consuming, and expensive dental treatment in the future. Addressing these teeth in a timely manner can help prevent more damage from occurring.

There are a host of reasons that a tooth might break or begin to chip. Typically, we will see small chipped areas on the front teeth due to a traumatic bite, grinding, or an accident. This can usually be resolved with dental bonding or porcelain veneers. Breaks on back teeth are usually due to old silver fillings, grinding, and crunching on hard foods. These breaks can be fixed very easily with a filling or a crown. 

Every now and then, we see breaks that violate the nerve of the tooth and a root canal procedure is necessary to rescue the tooth. Unfortunately, sometimes the break or fracture can be so severe that it renders the tooth non-restorable and other options like an implant may be a better option for you. Once a tooth begins chipping or breaks, it is usually a sign that there is an underlying problem that caused the chipped or broken tooth and should be evaluated before further destruction occurs.