Dangers of Not Getting a Chipped Tooth Checked Out

After chipping a tooth, you may be tempted to skip getting it looked at. “After all,” you may think, “it’s a long trip to the dentist’s office, and besides my tooth feels just fine. It will keep until the next time I have a normal cleaning appointment.”

Such an approach can be quite problematic, however. A chipped tooth should always be checked out by a dentist as soon as possible. Neglecting to do this can lead to even more problems down the road.

Here at Cooper Family Dentistry, we care about our patients, and we want you to know why it is that you should have your chipped tooth inspected as soon as possible. After reading this, if you have any questions, please feel free to contact us.

A Chipped Tooth Can Lead to Further Tooth Damage

This is probably not a surprise to you, but a tooth that has been damaged is more susceptible to further damage until it has been repaired. Your tooth is covered with an extremely hard and durable material called enamel. When that enamel is damaged, the softer tissue underneath can become exposed. This softer tissue is much more susceptible to damage than the enamel is.

So, if you have a tooth that has a chip in it, you don’t want to continue using it if the enamel has been exposed. It’s best to get it checked out right away.

A Chipped Tooth Can Lead to Other Health Issues

What you may not know is that a chipped tooth can create problems elsewhere in your body. This is because if the pulp of the tooth gets exposed, it could become infected. This, in turn, can lead to an elevated level of bacteria and toxins circulating in your bloodstream, increasing your chances of infection elsewhere in the body.

This means that a damaged tooth—even if it does not hurt—can actually increase your likelihood of problems in another part of the body. With this in mind, it’s best to get it looked at immediately.

We Are Here to Help!

Here at Cooper Family Dentistry, your health is important to us! If you have damaged a tooth—even if you think it’s just a small chip—please come see us right away. We can inspect it and let you know if it is just something superficial that can wait, or something serious that needs to be addressed right away.