Pain tells you about the nerve, not about the tooth. A chip that does not hurt usually means the inner layers have not been irritated so far, which is reassuring, but it says nothing about whether the broken edge will trap food, cut your tongue or keep cracking. Most painless chips are not urgent. Nearly all of them are still worth showing a dentist.
What the lack of pain really tells you
A tooth is built in layers. The outer enamel is hard and has no nerve supply. Beneath it, dentine is softer and connected to the nerve by tiny channels. At the centre is the pulp, which contains the nerve and blood supply. When a chip removes only a little enamel, nothing reaches the nerve, so there is nothing to feel.
That is why the absence of pain is reassuring about the nerve, and why it is a poor guide to everything else. The shape and strength of the tooth have still changed.
Four things a painless chip can still do
- Collect plaque. A notch in the tooth is harder to clean, and decay can start in it.
- Cut soft tissue. A sharp corner can rub the tongue or cheek until it forms an ulcer.
- Hide a crack. The visible chip may be the end of a crack line that runs deeper and spreads under chewing.
- Weaken a filled tooth. A chip next to a large filling or crown edge leaves less sound tooth to take the load.
Chips that can wait for your next check-up
If the chip is very small, confined to the white outer layer, smooth to the tongue, and the tooth feels normal with hot, cold and biting, it can usually wait for a routine visit. Keep it clean, avoid biting hard things with it, and mention it when you are next in the chair. If the edge feels a little rough, pharmacy dental wax can cover it for a while. At the visit, your dentist or OHT can often polish the edge in a few minutes and look for any crack you cannot see.
Chips worth booking in for this week
Even without pain, make an appointment soon if:
- the chip is large, or you can see a yellowish layer (dentine) or a pink or red spot (close to the nerve)
- the edge is sharp enough to catch or cut your tongue
- the chip is on a tooth with a big filling or a crown
- the tooth feels loose, or feels odd or rough when you bite
- sensitivity starts in the days after the chip, even if it is mild
These chips carry a greater chance of decay or a bigger break, and dealing with them early may help keep the repair small. If a sharp edge is already rubbing, our article on a sharp tooth edge cutting the tongue or cheek has tips for the meantime, and our guide to what to do in a dental emergency can help if you are unsure how urgent things are.
From a quick polish to a crown
The repair is matched to the size of the chip. A tiny rough edge is often just smoothed and polished. A small to moderate chip is commonly rebuilt with composite bonding, tooth-coloured resin shaped onto the tooth and set with a light in one visit; our comparison of bonding and veneers explains how that compares with porcelain. A larger chip, particularly on a heavily filled back tooth, may be better protected with a crown, and a front tooth may suit a veneer. If the nerve has been exposed or damaged, root canal treatment may be needed before the tooth is rebuilt. Front-tooth chips have their own cosmetic considerations, which our guide to a chipped front tooth covers.
Having a chip assessed early may mean a simpler repair is still possible.
Looking after the tooth until it is seen
Use the other side for chewing hard food, and keep ice, hard lollies and pens away from the chipped tooth. Brush and clean around it carefully so the notch does not collect plaque. If the tooth becomes sensitive, a toothpaste for sensitive teeth may help while you wait, but new sensitivity is also a reason to bring the appointment forward. If you grind your teeth, tell your dentist, because grinding can turn a small chip into a larger fracture and a night guard may be suggested. Do not file or reshape the tooth yourself.
If you have a painless chip you would like checked, our general dentists in Melrose Park can examine it and smooth or repair it as needed. Current offers are listed on our current deals page.
