Chipped Tooth Repair: A Guide to Care & Professional Treatment

Suffering from a chipped tooth can be both a painful and upsetting experience. Although teeth are strong, breaks in the teeth can occur after a trauma, such as getting hit in the face or biting down on a hard piece of food. According to the American Dental Association, seeing a dentist is the only way to fix a chipped tooth properly. However, there are steps patients should take prior to seeing a dentist that will ensure that the process of fixing the tooth goes more smoothly.

Things You'll Need

• Warm water
• Gauze
• Cold compress
• Temporary dental cement

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Instructions

• 1

  Call your dentist and set up an appointment as soon as possible. According to the American Dental Association, a dentist is the only person who will be able to fix a chipped tooth. Trying to fix the tooth at home could cause further problems.

• 2

  Save any pieces from the broken tooth. It is possible the dentist may be able to reattach the broken piece to the tooth if the break is clean.

• 3

  Use warm water to rinse out your mouth. Run any saved tooth pieces that have broken off under warm water as well.

• 4

  Apply gauze to any areas that are bleeding. Do this until bleeding has stopped.

• 5

  Use a cold compress or ice under a towel to minimize swelling. Place the compress on the outside of the skin over top the chipped tooth.