Teeth are strong, yet they can crack, chip, or break if they experience enough force. If something happened to one of your teeth that caused the tooth to chip, you might want to get it fixed. If you are considering leaving it chipped, you might want to think twice. Here are two things you should know about chipped teeth.

Reasons to Fix Chipped Teeth

When you have a chipped tooth, you can choose to fix it or ignore it. Fixing it is the better option for several reasons. First, do you like the way your tooth looks with the chip in it? Most people do not like how a chipped tooth looks. Therefore, they might feel embarrassed by the looks of it. They might be afraid to smile so no one will see this tooth.

The second reason to fix a chipped tooth is for protection. A chipped tooth is vulnerable to problems. The first problem you might have is an infection in the tooth's roots. If the chip is large enough, bacteria might get inside and work its way to your tooth's roots. If you get an infection, you will experience pain and require extra dental work. Secondly, a chipped tooth is not as strong as it should be. When part of a tooth is missing, it weakens the tooth, leaving the tooth vulnerable to breaking more. You can ask a cosmetic dentist to explain other issues with ignoring a chipped tooth.

Ways to Fix Chipped Teeth

You can visit a cosmetic dentist to have the tooth fixed. Dentists fix chipped teeth in several ways, and one option is through a veneer. A dental veneer is something a cosmetic dentist makes to fit over your tooth. When the dentist places it on a tooth, it covers the chip and strengthens the tooth. Dentists also fix chipped teeth with crowns if they are molar teeth. Crowns are like veneers, but they are generally larger. Some cosmetic dentists also fix chipped teeth with composite bonding. Bonding is a material a dentist can place in the chip. When they do this, it fills in the chip, leaving the tooth whole once again.

As you can see, fixing a chipped tooth is important if you want to protect this tooth and look nicer. A cosmetic dentist can provide several ways to fix your chipped tooth, and you can meet with one to learn more about these options.