It’s always the small things that catch you off guard.
You’re just eating dinner, laughing, maybe crunching on something a little too hard — and suddenly crack.
That sharp feeling makes your stomach drop. You touch your tooth with your tongue, hoping you imagined it. But no — there’s a rough edge now.
If this sounds familiar, don’t panic. A chipped tooth is common, and most of the time, it can be fixed quickly. The key is knowing what to do in those first few hours.
Check What Happened
First, stop and check. How bad is it?
If there’s bleeding, rinse gently with warm water. Not cold — it can sting.
Use a mirror if you can. If you see a small chip, it’s probably just the enamel. But if you notice pain when you breathe in or sip something cold, it may be deeper.
Try not to poke at it. It’s tempting, I know, but your fingers have bacteria.
Clean and Keep It Safe
Next step — rinse your mouth again.
Warm salt water works great. It cleans the area and keeps infection away. Just don’t swish too hard.
Avoid mouthwash with alcohol; it burns and dries your mouth out.
If your tooth feels sharp, grab a bit of sugar-free gum or wax from a pharmacy and cover that edge. It’s a small trick, but it stops your tongue from getting cut.
And please, no chewing on that side for now. Soft foods only — soup, rice, bananas. You’ll thank yourself later.
Pain or No Pain?
If it hurts, that means the nerve may be a little exposed.
You can take a pain reliever like paracetamol or ibuprofen. A cold compress on your cheek helps too — not ice on the tooth, just outside the mouth.
If it doesn’t hurt much, still get it checked soon. Small chips can turn into bigger problems faster than you’d think.
Keep the Broken Piece (If You Can)
If you can find the piece that broke off, hold onto it.
Put it in milk or even a bit of saline solution. Sounds strange, but it helps keep it from drying out.
Sometimes, if the piece fits well, your dentist can actually reattach it. I’ve done this a few times — it’s satisfying for both of us.
Call Your Dentist Right Away
Even if the chip feels minor, get in touch with your dentist.
At Legacy Care, we see these cases every week. A quick look under our digital scanner helps us see exactly what’s going on inside the tooth.
Depending on the size of the chip, we might:
- Smooth and polish it in a few minutes.
- Add bonding resin to fill and shape it again.
- Place a veneer or crown if the break is larger.
- Do a root canal only if the nerve is affected (which is rare).
The sooner you come in, the simpler and cheaper the fix will be.
A Few Tips to Avoid Another One
Once a tooth chips, it’s slightly weaker — so prevention matters.
- Don’t chew on ice or open things with your teeth.
- If you grind your teeth at night, get a night guard.
- Wear a mouthguard if you play sports — even casual ones.
- And get regular checkups. Most chips we see could’ve been prevented with early care.
I once had a patient who chipped the same tooth three times because he ignored his grinding habit. The night guard finally solved it. Sometimes, it’s the little things.
Final Thought
A chipped tooth can make you panic for a moment — that strange mix of shock and embarrassment. But don’t worry.
Modern dentistry can repair almost any chip, and usually in one visit.
So if it happens, rinse, protect, and call us. We’ll take care of the rest.
📍 Book a visit at Business Bay or Al Warqa 1
📞 Call +971 527073394
📅 Book Online: https://www.legacycare.ae/book-appointment/