Dental A to Z
Chipped Teeth
Teeth can chip due to trauma, but they can also fracture through underlying tooth decay (cavities). Teeth that are brittle due to root canal treatment, congenital abnormality or bruxism (tooth grinding) may chip more easily.
A tooth may have damage to the hard tissue – a chip or fracture of the crown or crown and root– or it may have damage to the supporting soft tissues and blood vessels. The fracture can go through enamel only, through into dentine (sensitive yellower tissue under the enamel) or into the pulp (nerve and blood vessels). It is important to have the teeth checked to ensure that injures are treated appropriately and promptly.