How to Maintain a Repaired and Bonded Chipped Tooth

Just about every day someone is paying a visit to the dentist to have his or her tooth bonded for various reasons. One common cause of tooth bonding may be attributed to repairing a chipped tooth resulting from injury. Teeth can get fractured or chipped from getting hit in the mouth with hard objects. The tooth also can weaken or break off when biting down on something abrasive. The severity of the chip or break will dictate the course of action taken by the dentist. If just about the entire tooth is destroyed, the dentist may have to opt for crown. If the chip is very minor, the dentist can file down the teeth to match. When the tooth is chipped, but not too severely, he will add a resin bond to make the tooth whole again. The process of getting a tooth bonded is very quick and painless. The procedure goes fast as the bond is analyzed for color match and the remainder of the tooth is prepared with adhesive. The dentist will then mold a new bond that will quickly set and match the remainder of the tooth. Once the dental repairs are completed, then it is the responsibility of the patient to properly care and maintain the bonded tooth.

Foods to Avoid

Despite the strength of bonds and veneers, nothing can substitute for the strength of the natural enameled tooth. Whether the tooth has a natural or bonded edge, the surface can be very susceptible to wear and tear and can eventually chip away when biting down onto very tough objects. While the bonded tooth looks just like the real thing, this surface very little tolerance of biting down on very hard foods such as popcorn kernels, hard candy, finger nails, etc

The dentists are very good at locating a good resin color match to the rest of the neighboring teeth which makes its very difficult to actually notice the tooth is bonded or different from the rest in the mouth. Besides having a low tolerance for tough foods, the bonded edges also can quite easily take on the stain of dark colored drinks such as coffee and tea. It is recommended to reduce or eliminate such drinks to avoid staining the bond.

Cleaning

Keep the teeth healthy by maintaining a regular brushing and flossing routine. Try to avoid using any abrasive hard brushes or gritty toothpastes that have the ability to wear down the strength of the bonded tooth. Keeping the area clean will keep the bond and your enameled teeth looking pearl white. It is also imperative to maintain semi-annual cleaning visits to dental hygienist. While daily brushing and flossing keep the teeth in good shape, there is no substitute for a visit to the professionals.