Emergency Dentist in Arlington: Fixing a Chipped Tooth

Get hit in the mouth with a softball. Fall on slippery steps. All these scenarios can cause cracked and chipped teeth. Your emergency dentist in Arlington, Dr. Prachi D. Shah, has the expertise to repair your oral injuries. Her cosmetic and restorative procedures erase damage quickly, and her kind manner eases the most stressful of situations.

Chipped Tooth in Arlington

An accident can damage your tooth enamel. So can extensive fillings, erosion from acidic foods or teeth grinding and clenching. You don’t have to suffer the discomfort and embarrassment of a snaggletoothed appearance. In fact, it’s important to get a chipped or cracked tooth repaired quickly to avoid decay, additional loss of structure or dental abscess (infection).

When you have a dental emergency in Arlington, contact Dr. Shah at South Arlington Dental Care right away. She will examine your mouth and take digital x-rays as needed. She will stabilize your condition and suggest ways to strengthen your chipped tooth. In the end, your repaired tooth will blend right in with the rest of your healthy teeth.

If you chip or crack a tooth (losing one or more pieces), save the fragments in a sealed plastic container. Cover the fragments with water or milk and bring them to Dr. Shah. If possible, she will use composite resin bonding to put the pieces back in place permanently. If the damage is more extensive, she may fill the tooth, crown the tooth or perform root canal therapy and then place a crown.

Here is how common restorative treatments for chipped or severely fractured teeth work:

• Tooth-colored fillings Crafted from composite resin, these fillings restore decay and even sudden loss of tooth structure. Placement of resin requires a conservative removal of surrounding enamel. The material bonds directly to existing tooth structure for a perfect color and texture match.
• Composite resin bonding Using the same tooth-colored material, Dr. Shah fills cracks, chips, and even gaps. Hardened with a curing light, composite resin bonding is durable and placed in one short dental visit. It’s perfect for that accidental chip or hairline fracture.
• All-porcelain crowns These caps cover broken or severely decayed teeth. Made from dental grade ceramic, the porcelain crown is completely tooth-colored from gums to crown. An initial evaluation, X-rays, and oral impressions start the crown process. During a subsequent visit, Dr. Shah securely bonds the crown in place, ensuring proper fit and bite.
• Porcelain veneers These tooth-shaped shells of ceramic cover the front of teeth damaged by cracks, chips, deep stains, odd shape or length, gaps or crowding. Because they improve smiles so quickly, porcelain veneers often are called “instant orthodontics.” Porcelain veneers strengthen tooth enamel after oral injury.
• Root canal therapy This two-visit procedure painlessly removes infected or damaged nerves and blood vessels from the interior of a tooth. Dr. Shah quells infection by instilling antibiotics and covers the tooth with a temporary restoration while a permanent crown is fabricated. Root canal therapy is a great alternative to emergency tooth extraction.

Other Pressing Needs

Dr. Shah offers 24/7 phone availability to serve your emergency dental problems. If you have lost a tooth or restoration, have a throbbing toothache, were struck in the jaw or suffered a cut to the lips, tongue or gums, please contact South Arlington Dental Care right away for advice and a same-day appointment as needed.

While injuries such as jaw fracture or dislocation need hospital emergency room care, Dr. Shah and her team can advise you right over the phone on toothache relief, removal of a foreign object from between the teeth or on replacing an avulsed tooth. And of course, when you need an immediate appointment, they’ll get you in and treated as soon as possible!

Get in Touch

Contact South Arlington Dental Care quickly when you chip a tooth or have another urgent oral health event. We treat patients of all ages, helping them smile with health and confidence again!