Realizing that you have a piece of a broken or chipped tooth is one of the worst feelings. Although the enamel is one of the hardest parts, yet its strength is limited. There are many ways in which your teeth can break or chip off, for instance, falling, biting down on something hard, receiving a blow to the face, etc. Additionally, if your tooth already has some kind of decay, it can cause your teeth to chip or break. 

So, if you are experiencing something similar to this, it would be best for you to not panic and do the right until the dentist does some fixing to it. Here’s what you can do to take care of broken or chipped teeth. 

How to Care for a Chipped Tooth

It is advisable to reach out to a dentist as soon as possible. However, in the meantime, you need to be extra careful with your broken, chipped, or fractured tooth. The following ways or tips can help to possibly prevent further damage so that you don’t end up losing the tooth. 

• Take acetaminophen or a prescribed pain reliever if your tooth is painful. 
• Rinse your mouth with salt water often.
• If the breaking or chipping has caused a sharp or jagged edge, try to cover it with sugarless chewing gum or a piece of wax paraffin to avoid cutting your tongue. 
• If you’re eating, eat soft foods. This will avoid your biting down on the chipped tooth. 

Once you visit the dentist, you’ll discover more about tooth replacement cost NZ and various ways through which he may repair your broken or chipped tooth. 

Dental Filling or Bonding

If you’ve chipped off a small piece of tooth enamel, the dentist may use filling or bonding to repair it. When you smile, the filling might be visible. Whereas,  bonding is a procedure where tooth-coloured composite resin is used to repair the teeth without numbing them. The average cost of dental bonding ranges from $300 to $600 per tooth and for a dental filling, the average cost is $186 for the front tooth. 

Dental Cap or Crown

If a larger piece of tooth breaks, the dentist may grind or file the remaining tooth and then cover it with a crown. This process of getting dental caps or crowns may take about  2 to 3 weeks, but, the results are worth the wait. The average tooth replacement cost NZ with a dental cap or crown ranges between $600 to $3100.

Dental Veneers

With dental veneers, your chipped and broken teeth can make them look whole and healthy again. It usually takes a week or two to get the veneers placed. In New Zealand, the average cost of dental veneers is about $450 – $750 per tooth for composite veneers and $1350 per tooth for porcelain veneers. 

Root Canal Therapy

If enough of the pulp gets exposed because of a tooth chip or break, the dentist would recommend root canal therapy. Most of these therapies are not painful. So, if you’re going to get this therapy, the average cost is about $1100-1250 for a premolar and $1400 to $1500 for a molar. 

Book an urgent appointment 

Need to see a dentist or an orthodontist, Gentle Dental is always available for you. Now that things have gone normal, you can find urgent appointments available across the clock. Successfully redefining smiles for about 27 years now, we have established a name of trust and reliability with NZ and beyond. 

Are you willing to book an urgent appointment to get your chipped teeth repaired? Contact us now. 

Source URL: http://gentledental.co.nz/services/emergencies/