Surprising Causes of Chipped Teeth

Wondering what causes someone to have chipped teeth? A chipped tooth is exactly what it sounds like: there is a chip missing out of the tooth. While the outer covering of a tooth, the enamel, is meant to protect the tooth from anything that can cause it harm, it is not indestructible. This means being hit in the mouth hard can cause a tooth to chip. When a tooth is chipped, it needs to treated by a dental professional so it does not become worse.

About chipped teeth

Finding out the reasons why chipped teeth happen allows you to take precautions in order to prevent yourself from being diagnosed with chips in your teeth. Some of the more common reasons why someone would experience a chipped tooth include being involved in a car accident, falling down and hitting one’s mouth on the sidewalk, being hit in the mouth when playing sports, teeth grinding, teeth clenching and eating hard foods like almonds.

Surprising causes of chipped teeth

The following is a list of some of the more surprising things that can cause someone to be diagnosed with a chipped tooth.

Biting one’s nails

According to the American Dental Association, nail biting can chip teeth. When someone constantly bites their nails, they tend to bite using the same tooth or teeth over and over again. The constant force being placed on the teeth will eventually begin to create wear, making the tooth weaker.

Tongue piercings

A tongue piercing means that there is a piece of hard jewelry in one’s mouth at all times. This jewelry often comes into contact with the teeth when sleeping, eating and talking. Over time, this constant contact can eventually cause the teeth to weaken, increasing one’s chances of experiencing one or more chipped teeth.

Living with a bad bite

A bad bite means one’s teeth are not in their proper alignment. When the upper teeth and the lower teeth do not properly fit together, it will begin to negatively affect certain parts of the teeth. Over time, these teeth will begin to weaken, making them much more susceptible to being chipped.

Chewing on ice

Chewing on ice is a habit that is more often than not caused by a lack of nutrients in the body. This lack of nutrients creates a craving for ice because of the symptoms that come with not providing the body with enough nutrients. More common symptoms include having a dry mouth, experiencing a tingling in the mouth or the tongue and experiencing a different taste when eating certain foods. Since ice is hard, over time it can weaken the teeth, leading to chips.

Are you living with chips in your teeth?

If you currently have one or more chipped teeth, you need to look into your treatment options as soon as possible. The last thing you want to happen is for the chip to turn into something worse, which will require more intensive dental treatment. The two most common types of dental treatment provided to patients who have chips in their teeth are dental fillings and dental bonding. Both treatment options take less than one hour to perform, making it easier than ever to fix chipped teeth.

Request an appointment here: https://www.newyorkdentaloffice.com or call New York Dental Office at (212) 548-3261 for an appointment in our New York office.

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