If you chip or break a tooth, then you may be nervous about the treatment you may be looking at for repairing the tooth. The form of treatment will depend on many factors including which tooth is broken, where the break is, how severe the break is and the condition of the remaining part of the tooth. Learn about some of the repair options in the information below:

Filling the broken area

If the portion of your tooth that broke off is very small then the dentist may be able to fix it by filling it, just as they would if you had a cavity in your tooth. There are different types of filling material the general dentist can choose from, depending on which tooth has the break in it.

If the broken tooth is one that's in your smile line then they will more than likely opt to use a bonding material. This material will be mixed to match the color of the rest of your tooth so the repair won't be noticeable.

To use bonding material, the dentist will prepare the rest of your tooth by using an etching acid to rough up the surface. Then, the bonding material will be mixed to blend with your teeth and put on your tooth. The dentist will use dental instruments to shape the material so the broken part of the tooth is repaired.

Putting a crown on the broken tooth

If the remainder of the tooth that's broken isn't in very good health or if the break is more severe than a simple chip, the dentist may want to put a crown on the tooth.

In order to put a crown on it, the dentist will grind some of the tooth down and make an impression of the tooth. That impression will be sent off to the lab where the crown will be made. Once it comes in, the dentist will put a bonding material on your tooth and put the crown in place.

There are other options the dentist may choose as well. There will be certain circumstances when they may suggest that the correct treatment would be a root canal, complete removal of the tooth or another option.

Now that you understand some of what goes into deciding on the treatment for a broken tooth, you will have a better idea of what kind of procedure you are looking at.