Tooth enamel is designed to be hard enough to handle biting, chewing, and breaking down food before swallowing. However, if you grind your teeth at night, nibble on pencils or you have a bad habit of using your teeth as tools, the force could exceed the strength of your tooth enamel. This could lead to a chipped or fractured tooth.
Even if the tooth doesn’t cause you any immediate discomfort, it would wise to have it examined by Dr. Kaitilin Riley. A brief examination and X-rays can determine the severity of the distress to the tooth and present you with the most applicable treatment method.
Sometimes a simple dental filling can be used to repair the chipped tooth enamel. However, a more significant fracture or a tooth that suffers from a new area of tooth decay might not have enough healthy tooth enamel in the area to anchor a dental filling. In a case like this Dr. Kaitilin Riley might recommend replacing the entire tooth enamel layer with a durable dental crown.
If food deposits and plaque buildup start to become trapped in the chipped tooth enamel it could lead to a severe cavity. This could require treatment from a root canal, to restore enough structure to secure a dental crown.
If you live in the Paso Robles, California, area and you have recently suffered a chipped tooth, you should call 805-238-3880 to seek treatment at Kaitilin Riley DDS.
