Chipped front tooth

[redfox]

Today a corner of one of my lower middle teeth popped off. It's quite obvious, and rather jagged. I have incredibly good dental health, and have had no major procedures other than wisdom teeth out 40 years ago, so I am in new territory.

I have some dental insurance; up to $1000 a year, with crowns covered at 30%. I'm going in tomorrow, and am expecting a major bill. Have you had to get a tooth capped? How much do they cost? This is such a bummer!

[iris lily]

oh good luck with that.

I've got a chip that I caused myself by using my teeth as a staple remover. doh. My mom used to tell me as a kid "don't use your pretty teeth! Youll chip them! But I always ignored her being a kid with strong teeth. But guess what, those strong teeth deteriorate. YOU WERE RIGHT, MOM!

But I didn't get this chip fixed and when I go to the dentist he doesn't say anything about it. It's not visible. So it's bigger on my tongue than it is to view.

I don't even give my dogs bones now unless I've got a young dog around because I'm afraid they'll chip a tooth.

[bae]

I've had a whole bunch of old old fillings failing over the past 10 years, requiring crowns. The porcelain crowns I've had done by my local dentist here on the island, who has a corner on the market, have been running me about $750, and that's with the cash-on-the-barrel discount I have negotiated with him, as I have no insurance coverage.

I had some jagged chips and spots on my front teeth from where I had a large heavy object dropped on my head in college (yes, perhaps this explains my political leanings... :-) ), and he managed to gently recontour them a few years ago for almost nothing though, as I was unprepared to spend vasty quantities of money and pain to deal with them.

[Float On]

When I was 11 I loved lemons, I was always carrying a slice of lemon around and I also loved crunching on ice cubes. Both are hard on teeth and I ended up having a front top tooth chip off. the dentist did like bae mentioned and recontoured it and the other front tooth to match and I think he did a little build up of something on it (which has never changed color, matches perfectly. No one can tell and it didn't cost that much.

I'm afraid I'm in for serious dental work in the future because I haven't had much done in the past. I'm afraid that one of these days my teeth will just start falling apart. Haven't even had a cavity since I was 12. Did have one filling (it was big) redone when the tooth broke around it. Thought for sure I'd need a root canal but I've got a good dentist who explores every cheaper option first.

[CathyA]

I agree......I think the easiest/least expensive way to go is just having the tooth rounded where it is chipped. Although sometimes, that cuts too close to the more sensitive inner part of the tooth and can cause a sensitivity. I'm thinking a filler might easily chip again, and it doesn't seem drastic enough for a crown. My crowns cost around $800. And you'd have to be careful biting into things like apples/carrots. I recently needed a small tooth crowned and I asked my dentist if the small ones cost the same as the large ones and he said "Yes." So I told him to put in a large one. hahaha
I have about 14 crowns, but they're all in the back.
Let us know what you end up doing Redfox.

[CathyA]

Oh Float On.......those lemons can really do a number on the enamel. Sometimes I wonder if that's a type of pica.

[Float On]

Well yes CathyA, I found that out when the dentist gave me a 15 minute lecture about it. Heck, I'm even afraid to have lemonade or add a slice of lemon to water now. He put the fear of lemon in me for sure.......and crunching ice too.....so I turned to chocolate and well.........

[CathyA]

There ya go Float On.........Chocolate is my answer to everything. :)
I'm trying to remember..........I think crunching ice is a sign of something.......maybe anemia?? I'll have to look that up.
I like to crunch too........but unfortunately its stuff like potato chips!

[chanterelle]

If it's just a big chip and not a lengthwise deep crack, it most likely can be fixed by building it up and reshaping with that new polymer gunk, or what ever that stuff is.
I broke 2 bottom front teeth and they were fixed this way....looks fine and held up well.
Not cheap but much less work and cost than a crown.

[redfox]

All done, just like chanterelle described, and for the cost of a filling.