Having a Chipped Tooth Repaired by a Crown Can Help Prevent New Tooth Decay

A chip is likely to occur on one of your teeth if you have a bad habit of nibbling on foreign objects, crunching on ice, or using your teeth as tools. People who grind their teeth at night without a dental guard are increasingly likely to suffer chips on the biting surfaces of one or more teeth.

Even if the chipped tooth doesn’t cause discomfort or increased sensitivity, you should still strongly consider having it treated at Dr. Brian J. Waggle’s Zanesville, Ohio practice. In time, the damaged tooth enamel could harbor bacterial material causing a new area of tooth decay to form deep in an already distressed tooth.

In some cases, a small chip can be repaired with a basic composite or amalgam filling. If a large area of tooth enamel was damaged, Dr. Brian J. Waggle might recommend a full crown restoration.

This piece of dental work is designed to replicate the original tooth enamel layer. They are typically from either porcelain, gold, or base metallic alloys. The crown itself is hollow, to allow it to be anchored on an abutment formed out of the dentin, pulp, and root of the tooth.

Once Dr. Brian J. Waggle has removed the entire tooth enamel layer with a drill, he will make a detailed impression of the abutment and the neighboring teeth. This also includes the teeth in your bite pattern that will meet seamlessly with your final crown.

The impression is sent to an off-site dental lab where your permanent crown is custom made. To protect it while you wait a temporary crown is cemented over the abutment to keep it safe. Just keep in mind that the temporary crown will not restore the tooth’s full function to bite off or chew hard foods.

When the dental lab has completed the crown, you will need to come back in to have it installed. Once it has been cemented onto the abutment, the newly restored tooth will last you for many years to come.

If you live in the Zanesville, Ohio area and you have suffered a chipped tooth, please call 740-454-6644 to have it treated and repaired at Dr. Brian J. Waggle’s practice. We look forward to helping you with all of your smile needs!