chipped or broken tooth deserves immediate dental care. Negligence could lead to infection, pain, or loss of the tooth.
Watch out for common causes of chipping or braking a tooth. Too late? Find out how to care for it, and how to fix it.
broken chipped tooth
Causes
What to avoid
Common causes of chipped or broken teeth are
Chewing ice, hard candy, nuts, popcorn kernels, and other hard foods
Clenching or grinding teeth (bruxism)
Practicing such contact sports as martial arts, wrestling, football, etc
Using teeth as a tool to open bottles, packages; to break tape and tags
These careless causes are preventable. Thus chew carefully any hard foods, combat any bruxism with an appropriate device, wear a mouth guard during contact sports, and use teeth only for eating.
chipping tooth with bottle
Less common and preventable are the following causes
natural wear
large fillings
extensive tooth decay
previous root canal
These all compromise a tooth's strength, making it more prone to chips and breaks.
