I chipped my tooth when a can fell out of my pantry and hit me in the mouth. I went to see my dentist about it. He said the tooth and pulp are still healthy. I told him I wasn’t too keen about the chip and he said he could put two crowns on my two front teeth so they can match and the chip will be covered. Is it just me or does that seem a massive overtreatment? Are there other options?
Louisa
Dear Louisa,
I’m in agreement with you. To place crowns on one healthy tooth, let alone two, seems irresponsible. Let’s say for the sake of argument one of your front teeth did need a crown put on it. That would be all you’d need—one crown. You don’t need two made in order to get them to match. A decent cosmetic dentist can match a single crown or porcelain veneer to your teeth. They wouldn’t need to treat the adjacent teeth to make them look similar. The fact that your dentist can’t tells me he shouldn’t be doing cosmetic procedures.
I’m guessing he’s a decent, old family dentist who sticks with what he knows. That’s why he recommended dental crowns instead of other less invasive treatments. And, there are other treatments available to you.
The Standard Treatment for a Chipped Tooth
When a tooth is chipped, it’s generally treated with dental bonding. This is a composite resin, which can be mixed to match your tooth exactly, a cosmetic dentist can sculpt onto your tooth. It’s done in one appointment. I wouldn’t recommend you have your dentist do this, but you can look online for some decent cosmetic dentists in your area. Be sure to check out their smile gallery to be certain you love the results they get.
One thing to note, The composites color can’t be changed after it’s hardened onto your tooth. That means if you’ve ever considered whitening your teeth, be sure to do so before you get the bonding done. This way your bonding can be made to match your bright new smile.
If that’s not feasible for you now, that’s okay. Just be aware when you finally do go ahead with whitening, your natural teeth will whiten, but the bonding will not. You’ll have to have that re-done.
There is another treatment. However, it’s usually reserved for patients looking for a total smile makeover. Porcelain veneers can change everything about your smile— your color, size, and shape. An artistic dentist can even shape them to fit a certain look you want to put off, such as youthful or authoritative.
This blog is brought to you by Dr. Steven Collins.