What do you recommend for a chipped tooth?

I have a chipped front tooth and I am trying to figure out what is better, dental bonding or a porcelain crown? I have done a lot of research about tooth bonding and my general dentist has told me that the bond won’t hold over time. She has recommended a porcelain crown to fix my chip. Can my chipped front tooth actually be corrected with dental bonding if I’m diligent in caring for it?

Thanks, Viv from Massachusetts

Dear Viv,

It turns out that many dentists are uncomfortable with direct bonding techniques. They will try to discourage you from this treatment. Although, it does hold up well and in most cases would be a good choice. There are likely several reasons for your dentist to recommend a crown. She may not have much experience with bonding. It requires artistic talent to do a good job. She may not carry all of the shades, textures, and varieties of bonding materials. Many general dentists only have a limited inventory of all-purpose bonding composites and do not have specialized bonding materials in stock. A cosmetic dentist will have the highly customized materials available that can make your tooth beautiful and will be long-lasting. Another reason she may recommend the crown is due to the higher cost of the bonding. Still another reason is that you may have an unusual bite that could potentially break off the bond, in which case the porcelain crown truly is best. It’s always good to get a second opinion. I would research an expert cosmetic dentist in your area. Good luck!

More information to fix a chip, read about porcelain veneers or CEREC crowns.

Pain with teeth whitening

Hi there. I just started an in-home teeth whitening system. I have been using it for about two weeks now and haven’t had any issues. Except yesterday when I used them I had a sharp pain. It was on my front tooth and seemed very intense for about thirty seconds or so. I have a dental bond on this tooth that was orginally chipped and then reapaired over a decade ago. So I was wondering if this reaction means that my bond is going bad or nearing the end of its lifecycle? Or could the whitening treatments I’m using be weakening the dental bond? That is my guess. Thank you for your help.

-Jane from Texas

Jane,

It is unlikely that the bond was weakened by the teeth whitening system you are using. The common bleaching gel has not been known to weaken dental bonds. Also, if that was actually the case and the bond was weakened then it would mean that the repaired chip would most likely fall off. This would probably be causing much more pain.

The way you have described it, I think the bleaching agent may be irritating a sensitive part of the tooth. If the tooth was injured previously and repaired, there may be a senstive area that has become exposed due to some of the bonding agent that has wore off.

Your situation is a good example of why with any teeth bleaching treatment, it is important to consult and remain under a dentist’s professional supervision. My assumption is that you are working with a dentist. So, you should let your dentist know about your problem. Hopefully, they will be able to pin point the issue you’re having. If it turns out to be a sensitive spot then there are solutions to re-coat the area. You should be able to continue bleaching safely once this issue has been resolved. Make sure you get this checked out before continuing with your bleaching treatment.