At PeakView Cosmetic & Implant Dentistry we are regularly asked, "What should I do if I chip my tooth?" This is actually a fairly common problem. If you live in the Boulder area, we encourage you to call (303) 578-5800 as soon as your tooth becomes chipped. As a general dentist, we can examine and treat you right away.
As an emergency dentist, the first thing we want to do is determine how serious the damage is. In order to do so, we will ask you several questions when you call to schedule an appointment.
After chipping a tooth, you may not be in pain or uncomfortable. It really depends on the extent of the chip, where your tooth was chipped, and which tooth was damaged. Some people, for example, lightly chip a tooth when eating something overly hard or crunchy. If it is small, the chip may go unnoticed until you brush and floss your teeth. If you are in pain, you need to call our dental office in Boulder immediately. Pain is your body’s way of alerting you to a problem, and by restoring your tooth, we can prevent further damage and infections.
We encourage you to visit our dentist practice immediately if you notice that your tooth has become chipped and you are also bleeding. This could be an indication that you have suffered more dental damage than you are currently aware of. Rinse your mouth out with warm salt water, and if the bleeding persists, come on in.
As a family dentist serving the Boulder area, we treat generations of families. We need to know the age of the person who suffered damage because this will directly influence our treatment recommendations. Children tend to be more sensitive to discomfort, so it is wise to have any damage restored on the same day as the accident.
If you have ever wondered, “What should I do if I chip my tooth?” this information is good to keep in your back pocket. We always welcome your calls, questions, and visits to our dental office in Boulder. This guide should be a reference point, but ultimately, you should still visit the dentist.
Rinse your mouth with warm saltwater. This will help remove debris, any surface blood, and reduce the chance of developing an infection.
Place a piece of gauze or a cool rag in your mouth and press on the area that is bleeding. Applying light pressure may also help ease any discomfort being caused by the tooth being chipped and the dentin being exposed. As a family dentist that serves residents of Boulder and surrounding areas, we have found this to be particularly useful for helping our young patients take their mind off their discomfort.
You can purchase dental cement at many drugstores and use it to temporarily cover the damaged tooth. As a cosmetic dentist, we prefer to simply treat your tooth and restore it immediately. However, if you are traveling, have a busy day at work, or simply cannot find the time to come in, this is a useful temporary solution. Just be sure to visit PeakView Dentistry the next day.
Call our cosmetic dental services office at 303-578-5800 and schedule an appointment to be seen as soon as possible. We will do our best to work around your schedule so you can have your tooth restored immediately.
Discover the passion and commitment that drives our dental team
Dr. Adam Kwiatkowski, a graduate of the University of Illinois at Chicago College of Dentistry, has received multiple awards for his outstanding achievements in cosmetic and implant dentistry. He is a recipient of the International Congress of Oral Implantologists’ Pre-doctoral Student Achievement Award and a member of the Omicron Kappa Upsilon National Dental Honor Society.
Dr. Hearne, originally from Las Vegas, was inspired to become a dentist at the age of 12 by a close family friend who was a renowned dentist. With a foundation in customer service and excellence from his early career in the hotel industry, Dr. Hearne was further inspired to become a compassionate caregiver for his patients after the passing of his younger brother to cystic fibrosis at the age of 7.
I was born in Ogden, Utah and always knew I wanted to pursue a career in healthcare. After serving an LDS mission in South Africa and getting married, I studied biology at Weber State University and attended the prestigious Creighton University School of Dentistry in Omaha, Nebraska. There, I received multiple awards for clinical excellence before settling down in St. George with my family.
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