There are many ways patients can chip teeth. It could be the result of a physical trauma such as a sporting injury or motor vehicle accident. However, it is just as likely that it is the result of biting something hard when chewing. Tooth enamel is a very durable substance but on occasions it can be prone to cracking and chipping.

A chipped tooth can be either painless or very painful depending on how much of the tooth is lost, and whether the chip affects the dental nerve. Perhaps more importantly is the aesthetic loss that a chipped tooth can cause. Chips can occur anywhere in the dental arc but commonly affect the front teeth as the result of accidents, and the incisors as the consequence of biting injuries. This means that they are often very visible and can a large impact on the appearance of the smile.

Just like missing teeth, patients are often very keen to restore the appearance of chipped teeth. City of London dentists can do this in two main ways. Firstly, they can rebuild the missing part of the tooth with dental bonding to create the appearance of a complete tooth. They do this by moulding the composite resin into the desired shape before setting it firm with heat from a dental laser.

Alternatively, they could cover the chipped tooth with either a porcelain crown or veneer depending on which tooth has suffered the crack. This will completely restore the shape of the chipped tooth and offer an added layer of protection to the tooth. Porcelain crowns and veneers are designed to closely match the size, shape and colour of the existing teeth.

If a tooth becomes damaged either by decay or as the result of an accident it may be possible that bacteria can penetrate the protective layer of enamel and cause an infection in the inner, sensitive part of the tooth. This could be the source of great pain and further dental complications, which could ultimately result in losing the tooth.

It may be possible to add further protection to the tooth and prevent bacteria infiltrating by filling the cavity with composite bonding, but if the damage is too large it will require a dental crown. Dental crowns cover all parts if the tooth that are exposed above the gum line. Traditionally they have been made from metal, ceramic or a combination of both. However, more and more patients are opting for ceramic porcelain crowns because of the superior visual appearance of porcelain. This is because porcelain bears a distinctive resemblance to tooth enamel and can be closely matched for colour.

The crown will be designed and manufactured by your London dentist either from dental moulds or using the latest digital x-ray technology. The crown will then be sculpted to fit your tooth perfectly and look similar to the other teeth. The dentist will then need to remove some of the enamel from the tooth so that the new crown can fit over it comfortably. It will then be cemented in place with dental bonding.

Dental crowns then protect the tooth from any further damage and the threat of nasty dental infection. Crowns are also used for several other reasons including after a root canal treatment and to support a dental bridge or other dental restoration.