Chipped or Missing Teeth?

When you live a rambunctious life, it can be easy to get an injury or two. Most injuries can result in a broken bone or a scratch. In those cases, a cast or a bandage can suffice. However, some, more serious injuries, can’t be covered up and forgotten. Such injuries, like a broken nose or a chipped tooth, are, unfortunately, public injuries and cannot be disguised.

Eye Sore

When it comes to a chipped tooth, there is not anything you can do but see a cosmetic dentist or leave the tooth as it is. The only issue with not treating your chipped tooth is that is can be considered an eye sore. Anytime you open your mouth to speak, the first thing people will see is your chipped tooth. This could affect the way you communicate with others and how they communicate with you. In some ways, a chipped tooth can make communication more difficult and distracting.  

Changed Speech

Say you have a minor spill and chipped only the tip of your tooth. An accident such as that will be simple to fix and will not affect your day-to-day as much. However a large missing potion of your tooth, such as half of your tooth, or maybe even the whole tooth, will severely impact your life. For example, missing or greatly chipped teeth can affect your speech pattern and alter the way you sound. If you do not replace or fix a lost or chipped tooth, your speech pattern can become permanent.

Confidence

The bigger the chip, the bigger the eye sore. So, if you have any pictures taken, the first thing you will see is the missing part of your tooth. Because of this fault in your smile, you may divert from taking as many pictures or smiling. When you are more self-conscious about the way you look, it could significantly change the way you carry yourself as a person. As a result, your self-confidence could deplete, which would make it difficult to be social.

Eating

Depending on where the injury is and how much of the tooth is chipped, your eating habits could be affected. For example, certain foods can get stuck in your teeth or become difficult to chew without your teeth at full capacity. Because of this, more people who have lost or chipped a tooth go to a cosmetic dentist. Even if the look of incomplete teeth doesn’t bother you, because of all the other aesthetic and physical effects, you should get your teeth fixed right away.

schedule an appointment now!

How a Cosmetic Dentist Can Help

For some, a chipped or missing tooth could be the cause of an emergency dentist visit. Depending on the severity of the break, your dentist can utilize a variety of methods to improve your smile. If you have suffered only a small chip, most dentists will implement a cosmetic bonding procedure.

The Procedure for Chipped Teeth

The procedure for fixing a chipped tooth sounds a lot simpler than it actually is. Most dentists have to train for years to get the technique just right. The procedure begins when the dentist makes the surface of your tooth rough. Once the tooth is fully treated, a conditioning liquid is applied to help the resin adhere to the tooth.  As the liquid dries, a tooth-colored putty-like resin is placed on the tooth and manipulated to imitate the look of a regular tooth. A dentist must not only know what a proper mold should look like, but be able to complete the procedure before the resin dries. As the resin dries, your dentist must then run an ultraviolet light to harden the material completely. After the material has hardened, your dentist can then trim and polish the tooth until it looks like new.

The Procedure for Lost Teeth

As a child, losing a tooth can be a joyful experience. When you are a kid, a lost tooth meant you could get money or treats. However, as an adult, losing a tooth could mean money leaving your pocket. Not only that, but losing a tooth can be a traumatic experience. Today, dentistry has developed new ways to treat missing teeth in a way that won’t permanently compromise your smile. If you do not treat a missing tooth, you could be at greater risk for gum disease. Not only that, but your surrounding teeth could adjust and lose alignment. When you go to a cosmetic dentist to treat your missing tooth, they will first take an abutment and fasten it either on or into your jaw bone. After that, a molded crown will be made of your tooth and screwed into the abutment or sometimes called “the post.”

Chipped or missing teeth are never a becoming sight. Tooth imperfections can lead to lowered self-esteem, but will also affect your smile as a whole. If a missing tooth is left unaddressed, it could increase your likelihood of developing gum disease. However, a missing tooth can also result in bone loss and crowding. Though these symptoms are quite shocking, nothing is as surprising as finding out that approximately 178 million people in the United States are missing at least one tooth. If you are currently missing a tooth or have a chip in your tooth, contact Designer Smile Dentistry. We can help restore your smile to its original brilliance. Interested? Contact us our business today.