When your child chips or cracks their tooth, it’s not something to ignore. You won’t even notice when a small crack spreads and weakens the structure. It can invite sensitivity and ultimately lead to cavities and tooth decay if not treated quickly. What seems like a tiny problem now can quickly become a bigger issue. It may sound frightening, but the good news is that a chipped or cracked tooth can often be saved by taking early steps. Whether they can wrap it up with dental fillings or they’ll need to go for dental crowns depends entirely on their age and the extent of the damage. This blog will explore the different levels of tooth damage, guide you through the initial steps and clarify when a dental crown might be the best solution to restore your child’s smile.
What to Do Immediately After the Injury
Your quick actions at the time of tooth injury can often save your child a lot of trouble in the future. Here’s what you can do initially to reduce the hurt and damage as much as possible:
- If your tooth is chipped, try to save the fragment. Sometimes, it’s possible to reattach the broken fragment of tooth, so it’s a good idea to keep it well-preserved. Store it in a container of milk.
- Rinse your child’s mouth with warm water to clean the area of injury. This helps prevent infections and protect the tooth from further damage.
- Injuries are often accompanied by swelling in the gums. To prevent this, apply a cold compress to the outside of the cheek.
- Once you’ve cleaned the injury and pressed a cold compress on it, call a dentist immediately. It may not seem like much, but you should treat it like a dental emergency, or the damage might worsen, leading to cavities and decay. Getting a dentist to check the extent of the injury is a wise choice. If it’s a small chip or crack, the dentist might fill it. However, if the issue is severe, your child might need stainless steel crowns for teeth to ensure they’re protected and strong.
When is a Dental Crown the Right Choice for Your Kid?
Crowns are like dental caps for teeth, providing strength, structure, and visual appeal. They act as a protective helmet, holding the tooth together and preventing further damage. A chipped tooth can cause a lot of problems for your child. It can weaken the tooth’s structure, making it vulnerable to further structural damage and other issues like sensitivity, cavities, decay, etc. However, not all types of dental injuries require crowns for teeth. Dental crowns are placed only on kids above 18 years of age. For kids below 18 years, chipping or injuries can be treated with bonding or dental fillings. However, when the issue is more serious, they might need interim, or temporary, restorative solutions to protect the tooth and prevent further damage. Let us understand the different levels of tooth damage and what kinds of treatment they require:
Minor Chip
- A minor chip is when the injury is just a surface-level and small damage. It only affects the tooth enamel and is not severe enough to warrant complex dental procedures. A dental bonding can easily repair or fix the chipped area, making the tooth whole again. It is used to repair chips, close gaps, or change the shape/colour of the tooth. This restores its structure, strengthening a weakened tooth and preventing bacteria and food particles from causing further damage.
Moderate Fracture
- When the chip extends beyond the tooth’s enamel and into the dentin layer, it is considered a moderate fracture. It exposes the inner parts of the tooth, like the dentin, making the tooth vulnerable. If left untreated, it can cause severe issues like sensitivity and decay. However, a standard dental filling is often enough to protect the tooth from such injury.
- However, if the chipped tooth is a baby tooth or deciduous tooth and the damage is too extensive for a simple filling or bonding, then a stainless steel crown is used instead of an adult-style ceramic crown. Stainless steel crowns act as a protective barrier, preventing decay and restoring the shape, structure, and strength of the baby tooth until it falls off naturally.
Severe Fracture
- A severe fracture is when the damage extends beyond the dentin, deep into the tooth’s inner layers. Such damage exposes the tooth’s root and pulp, containing the nerves and blood vessels. This is severe damage that requires immediate action and a visit to the dental clinic. Often, such a serious injury may require the child to get a root canal treatment to save the tooth, followed by stainless steel crowns for kids under 18 (or dental crowns for kids above 18 years) to provide strength and stability to the tooth.
Modern dentistry is designed to reduce stress and make the process comfortable. That’s why the dental crown procedure at Dentist at Dickson is much quicker and less daunting than you might imagine. To learn more about our dental crown procedure, read our blog: Dental Crowns and Beyond: Key Services Offered by Family Dentists.
Conclusion
A chipped permanent tooth in a child is not just a cosmetic issue – it’s a dental emergency. While no parent ever wants to face this situation, being prepared makes all the difference. If your child chips a tooth, the best step you can take is to contact a trusted dentist right away. They will carefully assess the damage and recommend the right treatment—whether it’s filling the chip, bonding, or placing a dental crown—to restore your child’s healthy, confident smile.
If you need urgent care for your child’s chipped tooth or you’re looking for dental crowns in Canberra, Dentist at Dickson is here to help. Our friendly dental team provides gentle, expert care tailored to the unique dental needs of children. Book an appointment today and let us restore your child’s smile with confidence.