Which person is at the most risk for putting themselves in the #1 way that people accidentally chip or brake their front teeth?
If you couldn’t guess, then the second picture singles her out! When she goes to drink her beverage of choice with the bottle, someone accidentally hits her elbow. The bottle bangs the front teeth leaving her with more than a headache the next morning.
If you’re thinking to yourself that it’s not a big deal to chip your tooth, think about this: Chipping or breaking your front one front tooth puts you at risk of spending from a couple hundred dollars for cosmetic bonding to a couple of thousand for a root canal and crown to close to four thousand to replace a non-savable tooth with an implant.
Protect yourself from the following situations that are notorious for chipping teeth that most people don’t expect.
Here are some of the unexpected ways teeth get chipped:
- College parties or bars
It happens all the time. You raise your beer bottle to your mouth, someone bumps your elbow in the crowded bar, and your tooth chips on the glass. Consider having your dentist fabricate a clear, unnoticeable retainer that can give you that protection when tooth safety is the last thing on your mind!
- Water fountains
Pushing and shoving among kids lined up at the water fountain results in many chipped teeth. The kid in the front chips his tooth on the water spigot of the fountain after someone in the back causes a domino-like effect from inadvertently pushing.
- Trampolines and bouncy houses
One kid is flying up in the air, the other kid is coming down, and chips his/her tooth on the other kid’s head. Think twice about those trampoline Christmas presents.
- Passionate kissing
It really does happen! Love is blind and also, dangerous!
- Shivering
You can chip a tooth just from moderate shivering. Bundle up before you go outside!
- Childbirth
Women can chip their teeth during childbirth during the contraction phase when bearing down. Husbands watch your fingers, also!
Surgeries
When patients are intubated during surgeries, teeth are chipped all the time. Take photos of your teeth before you go into surgery for documentation! You may be off the hook for thousands of dollars!
- Weight lifting or bench pressing
People at the gym chip their teeth by vigorously clenching at the moment of the lift. This is why I recommend wearing a mouth guard for these kinds of sports. Not only do mouth guards protect your teeth, they increase your performance.
- Pets
Your loyal dog who comes to greet you when you come home can easily chip a front tooth jumping up while you stoop to say hello. Paying for training could be far less than replacing a front tooth!
Protect those teeth at all costs! And if a problem does arise, Contact Carlyle Dental for the latest in Cosmetic Dentistry!
Ricky Carlyle, DDS