Your Child Chipped A Tooth: Now What?
Posted on: 19 October 2015
When your child chips a tooth or has one knocked out, you may feel at a loss as to what to do. You don't want your child to get made fun of at school or look different than their friends when they smile, so you may be wondering what kinds of dental procedures exist to help fix their issues. So your child has chipped a tooth; here are the suggestions your dentist may make to help your child's smile appear more natural.
Bonding
If your child has a noticeable break or chip in their tooth, then bonding may help make it stronger and prevent more breakage. Your dentist may perform this kind of cosmetic dentistry to make your child's tooth more even with the others while reinforcing it at the same time. With bonding, a resin is applied to the offended tooth to help fill in the chip and make it stronger. The resin is tooth-colored, so it should be barely noticeable when your child smiles.
Contouring
If your child's chipped tooth isn't that apparent, your dentist may suggest simply contouring the tooth so it has a smoother finish instead of doing bonding. This is more likely to be suggested if your child's chipped tooth is not a permanent tooth, or if the chip is on the outer edges of the enamel and can be smoothed down. With contouring, a small spinning blade is used to smooth the edges of your child's tooth to give it a more natural finish. For many children, contouring out small chips can leave the tooth almost like it was prior to being damaged.
Veneers
If you have an older child with a chipped or missing tooth and you want them to have a more attractive smile, then veneers may be your best option. Similar to bonding, veneer cosmetic dentistry involves placing a foreign substance on your child's tooth that, once adhered, makes the tooth look more natural and gives it a better shape. Most veneers are porcelain in design, and veneers are used to make small teeth appear more adult-like as well as to fill in gaps in teeth from missing edges. Veneers can also mimic a real tooth when one has been lost.
You want your child to feel confident with their smile. You can help them accomplish this by getting them bonding, veneers, or contouring to repair their dental issues. If you want to see what you can do for your child's oral health, contact a dentist (such as one from Associated Dental Center, LLC) to see what work can be done to improve their smile.
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