A recent study published in the Academy of General Dentistry Journal talks about one of the best ways to restore a chipped front tooth with tooth fragment reattachment (TFR).
Chipping of the front teeth can occur at any age but is most common in children. Studies have shown that there is a negative impact to quality of life when the front teeth are damaged. It may have negative social, psychological and functional consequences. Treatment choices vary from a filling to a crown or veneer. In some cases the best option is to simply reattach the chipped part of the tooth.
If you experience a chipped tooth follow these steps:
1. Recover the chipped part of the tooth.
2. Place the part of the tooth in some sort of neutral liquid to keep it hydrated. Saline water, milk or tap water.
3. If the chipped tooth is sensitive to air use some dental wax to cover the exposed dentin and reduce sensitivity.
4. Make an emergency appointment with your dentist and let them know that you have the part of the tooth that was lost.
Your dentist will clean everything up and ensure that the part of the tooth you brought fits properly, then reattach it using resin adhesives. Sometimes a slight line will be noticeable after reattachment, but this will usually go away as the tooth rehydrates. If it persists then dental composite can be used to mask it.
Long term the tooth may end up needing root canal, veneer or crown, however in many cases the tooth fragment reattachment will last a very long time.
