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General health

Dentist help! Front teeth chipped yet again - fill or file?

19 replies

AbbyCadabby · 20/04/2015 11:12

Hi,

After a small accident two years ago where both my top front teeth got a tiny chip off the bottom, I have had them filled every few months as they go every now and then after a knock (I have a boisterous four year old).
One's just gone again - am wondering if I would be better off just getting them filed down once and for all, rather than trips to the dentist every few months. Would that be a final solution, or present new issues?
Anyone got any experience/advice? Any negatives to filing? I suggested it to the dentist last time, they hadn't suggested it up til then. She said it was up to me. So here I am again, and thinking I should have them both filed.

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AbbyCadabby · 20/04/2015 12:29

Bump!

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pinkfrocks · 20/04/2015 14:03

How big is the chip?

Filing down won't look good unless it's a tiny chip- say half a millimetre - and the answer could be to have a better type of filling.

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bonzo77 · 20/04/2015 14:06

I'm a dentist. Can you post a photo? Ideally one where your have your front top and bottom teeth edge to edge.

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AbbyCadabby · 20/04/2015 14:20

Thanks for responses. Chip is tiny, but I am aware of it.

Rubbish photo, trying hard to take another one but need to leave in 20 mins!

Hope this works:

Dentist help! Front teeth chipped yet again - fill or file?

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AbbyCadabby · 20/04/2015 14:25

Slightly better photo?

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Coldcabbagestew · 20/04/2015 14:44

I chipped both my front teeth. Initially they were filled in with composite . Needed replacing every few months. I then had veneers. They lasted longer but eventually cracked - I think I grind my teeth.I now have porcelain crowns and they are fab.

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Coldcabbagestew · 20/04/2015 14:44

So all in all lots of options other than filing down!

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pinkfrocks · 20/04/2015 16:26

I think it looks quite endearing as it is- not too bad at all.

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Mrsmorton · 20/04/2015 16:33

I would Definitely NOT crown that! It's tiny which is probably one of the reasons it keeps failing.

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blahblahblah72 · 20/04/2015 17:28

I had to really study every single tooth in both pictures before I could even see it.

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blahblahblah72 · 20/04/2015 17:31

In fact, I would give my right arm to have teeth like yours.

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pinkfrocks · 20/04/2015 17:51

As above- great teeth.
Just leave it - anything you have done to it will make it more obvious.

I have a chip but it's 1/3rd of a tooth at the front and is filled with composite and gold posts behind. I refused a crown and in fact was advised not to have it as it would destroy a pretty sound tooth.

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pinkfrocks · 20/04/2015 17:53

If you have it filed down that tooth will be shorter than the other one which will be worse IMO and a more obvious 'fault'.

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Coldcabbagestew · 20/04/2015 18:53

Ah - just logged in on computer to see picture. Please ignore my advice and listen to the experts! Your chip is tiny - much smaller than mine were.

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bonzo77 · 20/04/2015 21:16

I'm back. If it were my tooth I would leave it as it is. If it's sharp then have it smoothed a little. Smoothing it might make it less noticeable. Your fillings are not sticking because a) the chip is so tiny there is insufficient surface area for the material to bond to. B) I suspect that the location of it means that the filling occasionally catches the bottom tooth. Albeit only slightly.

FGS DO NOT GET THIS TOOTH CROWNED OR VENEERED. PLEASE!!! It's worse that sledge hammer to crack a nut. It's wrecking ball and ball dozer to shell a pea. There will be so much unnecessary serious damage. LEAVE IT!!!

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fanjoforthemammaries7850 · 20/04/2015 21:18

It really l is not noticeable.

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Gobbolinothewitchscat · 20/04/2015 21:22

I have exactly the same thing

My DH is a dentist and he had banned me from asking him to treat it again as I was literally going in every two weeks to get composite stuck on and it kept falling off as the chip was so tiny

It felt huge to me but he smoothed it very slightly at the back as I think it was slightly rough and i couldn't stop touching it with my tongue. Now I don't notice it all

He also said that he wouldn't do anything else to it either - ie veneers or crowns - and basically I would stop noticing it.

He's sitting beside me actually and had a very quick squizz at your photos says that if anyone offers to crown it etc, run out of the surgery!

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Gobbolinothewitchscat · 20/04/2015 21:24

Oh - I seem to have cross posted with Bonzo!

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AbbyCadabby · 20/04/2015 21:41

Thank you all so much for the feedback, and especially the comments about my teeth being nice. Aw, thrilled!!! I am not sure about 'endearing', pinkfrocks, but thanks!

I had my appointment before I saw the replies, and I don't have Internet on my phone, and I've only just gotten home.
She did smooth it a little, and a teeny tiny bit of my other front tooth so that they are more even.

The fillings have actually stayed pretty well in general - they have survived eating things like carrots - it's only when I get a bump from the four-year old (who has now been told only rough-housing with his father from now on!) that the fillings come off. He caused the accident in the first place too! They didn't tell me the effect of children on my teeth!!!