Despite their bite strength, teeth can be surprisingly fragile. In fact, we often overzealously find ourselves munching down on a food only to find that our teeth couldn’t handle it after all. This can lead to a chipped tooth, but there are also other causes, such as: bumping your tooth with a bottle or glass or even playing sports.

If you have a chipped tooth, the first course of action will depend on how severe the chip is. If the chip is serious and has caused bleeding or severe pain, you should head to the dentist immediately for emergency treatment. It is likely the nerve has been exposed or affected in some way, and it needs to be treated and protected immediately to avoid further damage.

If the chip is a less severe, smaller, and not causing you any pain, you should call up our office and schedule an appointment to have it looked at. The chip may be able to be filed away, depending on its location, or you may be able to have dental bonding applied to repair the chip and restore your tooth to its old natural appearance.

The path forward in fixing your chip will depend on its location, your preference, and the severity of the issue. Reach out to your dentist as soon as possible following the incident so that it can be addressed in a timely manner before it has the chance to get worse. If you have questions about how a tooth chip in Murrells Inlet can affect your dental health or what you should be doing to care for it in the meantime, don’t hesitate to call our front office.