​Chipped Tooth

It is possible to chip off a tooth due to a blow to the face or even because you have bit into something hard. Your teeth can be particularly susceptible to chipping if it already has been weakened due to decay or parafunctional habits such as clenching or bruxism. Chipping a tooth is different from when your tooth has been completely knocked out or has been badly broken, in which case you must see your dentist immediately.

Chipping a tooth is quite common and can be repaired by a dentist without much difficulty. However you should see your dentist as soon as possible to have your tooth smoothed down or filled, or else you risk getting an infection and further damage to your tooth.

If you have chipped a tooth, there are certain measures you can take at home before visiting your dentist:

• Take over-the-counter pain reliever medicine if you are experiencing pain in your tooth.

• Rinse your mouth with salt water.

• If the chip has caused a sharp or jagged edge in your tooth, you could cut your tongue or the inside of your lip or your cheek. You can prevent this by covering your tooth with a piece of wax paraffin or sugarless chewing gum.  

• Avoid biting down on the broken tooth and only each soft food if you are hungry.

When to seek expert advise

If you have chipped a tooth, you should not worry. It is usually easy to mend a chipped tooth and it is classified at a non-emergency dental situation. Yet you should visit your dentist at the Department of Dentistry as soon as you can in order to fix your tooth to prevent further damage and weakening. If you wait too long, you could risk getting and infection, and in some serious cases you could risk losing your tooth completely. ​