3 Reasons a Chipped Tooth Can Be a Big Problem

After a fall or sudden smack to your tooth with a hard object, you realize you have a chipped tooth. The issue may not appear to be a big problem, but a chipped tooth can actually be a reason to seek emergency dental care in some cases. At the least, a chip in your tooth should lead you to contact the dentist for advice. Here is a look at a few problems that can arise when you have a chipped tooth.

A chipped tooth can lead to an infection.

Even though a chip may look small, the missing enamel could mean that the pulp of your tooth is open to bacteria. In the event this is the case, you could be highly at risk for developing an infection. The pulp of the tooth’s interior is softer and more vulnerable to bacterial accumulation. Further, if your tooth gets infected, you could be at risk for the infection making its way into your bloodstream.

A chipped tooth puts the full structure of your tooth at risk.

What looks like a simple chip looks quite more alarming under a microscope. Tiny, hairline fractures can stem from the chipped point and outward along other parts of the tooth’s structure. Unfortunately, this can mean that a small chip may have the full structure of the tooth at risk. While a root canal and crown can usually save the ailing tooth, many people don’t understand the extent of the damage and end up losing their tooth.

A chipped tooth can lead to severe dental pain.

Some people don’t feel anything immediately when they sustain a chipped tooth, but then severe pain settles in shortly after. This pain occurs because the fractured enamel can open up an access point for air to make its way to the tooth’s nerve. In the most extreme cases, the chipped tooth can actually cause nerve damage, which may lead to the tooth having to be extracted.

Contact a Thornton Emergency Dentist for Advice

Sometimes, the smallest issues with your small can lead to worrisome problems. If you have sustained dental trauma and have a chipped tooth, reach out to us at the Colorado Root Canal Specialist in Thornton, CO for advice.