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Chipping a front tooth can be a devastating experience. When you incur damage to a front tooth, it’s not just about the physical damage. A change in appearance can also affect your confidence. This can make a common dental problem feel more like an emergency. 

We understand the emotional distress a chipped tooth can cause – and we are here to help.

The following blog shares several treatment options for chipped teeth, including our preferred treatment – advanced dental bonding. Keep reading to learn more about each treatment option and the pros and cons when treating a front tooth. 

Treating a Chipped Front Tooth: Traditional Treatment Options

Traditionally, a chipped tooth has been treated one of three ways – a filling, a crown or a veneer. 

Dental Filling 

For a dentist who is newly out of dental school, a filling may seem like the best option to treat a chipped tooth. This treatment allows them to replace the missing enamel without removing any additional tooth structure. However, these typically do not last very long. 

Oftentimes, the patient will come back because the filling has fallen off. This can happen repeatedly until eventually the patient may leave the practice to seek out a second opinion. 

Dental Crown 

After several failed fillings, the dentist might suggest a dental crown to treat the chipped tooth. This is stronger than a filling and doesn’t have the same risk of coming off because the tooth is now fully covered. However, this treatment is somewhat overkill for a chipped tooth. 

When you crown a tooth, you must remove enamel to prepare the tooth structure. That is not necessary when treating something like a chipped tooth where the enamel is still strong and healthy. We talk a lot about getting patients to 100 with all their teeth, and when you prematurely crown a tooth – you’re making that harder to do. 

Dental Veneer

The last option your dentist may explore is a dental veneer to repair the chipped front tooth. Veneers do not cover the entire tooth like a crown, making it a less invasive treatment option. However, if you are only placing one veneer in the front of the mouth you run the risk of it not matching perfectly. Even if the veneer is done well, down the road the coloration of the rest of your teeth can make the veneer stand out. 

The Best Treatment Option: Advanced Bonding 

Of all the treatments for chipped teeth, bonding is perhaps the best option. Bonding allows us to adhere a composite material to the tooth and replace the missing enamel without removing any tooth structure. Traditional bonding has been used to treat chipped teeth for many years. 

However, advanced bonding – like BioClear® or the Brazilian technique – is a revolutionary alternative. Instead of just replacing the missing tooth structure, advanced bonding “saran wraps” the tooth with composite material. Using this technique, we wrap the composite around the front and back of the tooth. This creates a stable bond that locks the new material securely in place. 

This approach provides several advantages when treating a chipped front tooth. 

1. Advanced aesthetics.  Advanced bonding is done entirely in the dental office, meaning a lab is not involved in the process. Because of this, the dentist has more control over the aesthetic and can make decisions in the moment to create a more natural looking restoration that blends with the rest of the smile. 
2. Minimal tooth reduction. When preparing the tooth for advanced bonding, we remove minimal tooth structure – far less than required for a dental crown. This leaves us with a stronger tooth structure that is less prone to failure. 
3. Improved maintenance. Advanced bonding is far easier to repair than the alternatives. If a veneer chips, it will need to be replaced. Whereas a failed crown could lead to further tooth damage. If advanced bonding chips, it can easily be fixed with more bonding. This can be done several times before another treatment option is introduced. 
4. Reduced costs and time in chair. Advanced bonding is typically less expensive than a crown or veneer. In part because the entire treatment can be done in-office in about an hour.  

Have a chipped front tooth? 

If you have a chipped front tooth, ask your dentist about advanced dental bonding. If they’re unfamiliar or uncomfortable with the technique, don’t hesitate to seek a second opinion. In our dental office, we’ve been doing advanced dental bonding for many years. 
To schedule a consultation with our experienced team of dentists, call us at 813-689-4226 or schedule an appointment online.