Chipped Tooth and Broken Tooth Treatments
A chipped, broken or cracked tooth can be distressing and potentially painful. Thankfully, modern dental technology provides patients a number of treatment options to fix chipped, broken or cracked teeth. Treatment for a chipped or broken tooth depends on how severe the damage is. If only a small or minor piece of enamel has broken off, the tooth can be repaired by a simple visit to the dentist. However, a badly damaged or broken tooth could require a more lengthy procedure. We have listed below some of the ways our dentist could repair a chipped or broken tooth.
Dental Filling or Tooth Bonding
Tooth or Composite bonding is a quick, non-invasive way to repair cosmetic dental issues with the teeth. If you have broken or chipped off just a small portion of the tooth, the dentist may be able to repair the damage with a composite filling. If the damage is to your front tooth, or the damage can be seen when you smile, the dentist could potentially use a procedure called dental tooth bonding to fix the damage. Tooth bonding uses a tooth coloured composite material or resin to correct minor chips, cracks and gaps in the tooth. Treatment can often be completed in a single appointment at the dentist.
Tooth Bonding is a simple dental procedure that usually doesn’t require any numbing to the tooth. To repair or bond a damaged tooth, the dentist will first etch the tooth surface with a gel to roughen it, this helps the composite resin to bond or adhere to the tooth structure. The dentist will then apply an adhesive to the tooth followed by a composite resin. The composite resin will then be shaped by the dentist to make it look like a natural tooth. The procedure is relatively quick and can typically be completed in one appointment.
Dental Crown or Cap
If you have a large portion of the tooth that’s broken off or if the tooth has a lot of decay, the dentist may need to grind part of the remaining tooth structure and cover it with a dental cap or crown. A dental crown is a tooth-shaped cap, custom made to protect the underlying tooth and also improve its outward appearance. Dental crowns can be made from a number of materials – porcelain, metal, all resin, all ceramic and porcelain bonded to metal. Different types of dental crowns have different advantages – for example, metal crowns are the strongest whereas all porcelain crowns can look almost identical to a natural tooth.
If the entire top portion of your tooth has broken off, but the root of the tooth is still intact, the dentist may need to perform a root canal procedure on the tooth and place a post (a form of pin) in the tooth canal and build up a structure around the post onto which a crown can be placed. The dentist can then cement a dental crown on top of the post to complete the restoration of the broken tooth.
Dental Veneers
If you have broken or chipped one of your front teeth, a dental veneer can make the damaged tooth look whole and complete again. A dental veneer come in two types – a porcelain veneer, which is a thin shell of tooth-coloured porcelain material that covers the front surface of the tooth or a composite veneer, which is made from a resin material that covers the entire front surface of the tooth.
Porcelain veneers are a very common cosmetic dental procedure used to improve the appearance of the teeth. The dentist will first remove approx. 0.3 to 1.2 mm of tooth enamel from the tooth surface. They will then make an impression of the tooth surface and send it to a dental lab, which will use the tooth impression to make the porcelain veneer. When the porcelain veneer is ready, the dentist will place the porcelain veneer to the tooth surface and cement it with a special cement.
Composite Veneers are a less invasive procedure and can be used in certain situations instead of porcelain veneers. Composite Veneers are made using a composite resin material that is sculpted and then hardened onto the tooth surface to achieve a desired shape for the tooth. Composite resin is a paste like substance that is applied to the tooth and sculpted (like putty) by the dentist to fix the broken tooth. Once the desired shape is achieved, the dentist then hardens the resin with a special light followed by a polish to complete the procedure. Composite veneers are very advanced and can match exactly to the shade of adjacent teeth, providing beautiful natural results for patients.
Fees
| Composite Bonding | from £160 |
| Composite Veneers | from £450 |
| Porcelain Veneers | from £600 |
| Dental Crowns Prices are per unit and they depend on material selected |
from £525 |
Ethically Priced
Our teeth reshaping treatments are very ethically priced. That typically results in our prices being very competitive.
Dr. Deepa and Dr. Xenia are very experienced cosmetic dentists, with over 20 years of dental experience between the two of them.
Please click here to visit our cosmetic dentistry homepage.
Frequently Asked Questions
What should I do if you have a chipped, broken or cracked tooth?
If you have cracked or chipped a tooth, you should go to see a dentist as quickly as possible. The dentist will assess how badly the tooth is damaged and provide various treatment options. The damage could worsen if the tooth is left untreated, potentially leading to damage to the underlying nerve or even loss of the tooth.
If you have experienced a dental injury or dental trauma, it’s important to get help right away Please see our dental emergency page from the top menu.
While you are waiting to see a dentist, first rinse the mouth with warm water. Then take an ice pack, wrapped in a clean towel, and hold it against the affected area. If a portion of the tooth has broken off, either keep it in your mouth or in a glass of milk until you see the dentist; the dentist may be able to reattach the broken portion of the tooth.
What treatment can I have for cracked or chipped teeth?
Cracked or chipped teeth can lead to further issues if left untreated. Depending on how severe the damage is, the dentist may recommend one of the following treatments –
- Dental Fillings – Tooth coloured dental fillings can be used to fix or fill the gap caused by a crack. The dentist may also be able to smoothen the sharp edges of a chipped tooth with a composite tooth coloured resin or filling.
- Tooth bonding – Composite bonding or dental bonding is a non-invasive procedure used to repair small chips or cracks to the tooth. Tooth bonding doesn’t require the dentist to remove or strip way any healthy portion of the tooth structure to repair a damaged tooth.
- Dental Crowns – A dental crown is a small tooth shaped cap that is placed over the top of a damaged or cracked tooth.
- Dental Veneers – Dental Veneers can be used to cover the front surface of a damaged, chipped or cracked tooth.
If you have a broken, chipped or cracked tooth, our dentists can advise you on the various treatment options available to restore the appearance of the damaged teeth.
How can I prevent my teeth from chipping or cracking?
If you are an avid sports player where your teeth could potentially be at risk, you could consider investing in a custom mouth guard to protect your teeth while playing the sport. Wearing the mouth guard during the night can also provide protection from grinding at night, which can often wear out the teeth over time.
Dr. Deepa, our principal dentist, is an experienced cosmetic dentist with almost.15 years of experience treating patients for cosmetic procedures. She will be happy to assist you with your cosmetic dental needs and aspirations.
Whites Dental provides Chipped Tooth, Broken Tooth and Cracked Tooth treatments to patients near us in Central London. We are based in London Waterloo SE1, adjacent to Southwark Tube. We are a 5-10 minutes’ walk from London Bridge, Borough, Southbank & Elephant and Castle.