Chipped Front Tooth

[DragonQuest]

My front tooth is a little bit chipped and Id like to get it fixed, so far I walked into a few dental offices and they all quoted me different prices from 200Baht to 600 Baht, Some say they need to cut it a bit more to put the chip On which I disagree because wouldnt it just make it look worst then it is? and I want to make sure you cant tell there isnt a chip there unless you really look at it, I want a perfect job basically. Also my friend has chips put in before and I cant tell the chip was there! flawless job, same color as natural teeth too! thats what Im looking for but it seems all these dental shops are just in it for the money. Does anyone know a good place to go for a job like this? and what should be the total cost? Also Im thinking of whitening my teeth, and have been told that I should do that first before I do the chip job done, is this true? or should I do it after I bleech my teeth? does it matter???

[harleyclarkey]

My front tooth is a little bit chipped and Id like to get it fixed, so far I walked into a few dental offices and they all quoted me different prices from 200Baht to 600 Baht, Some say they need to cut it a bit more to put the chip On which I disagree because wouldnt it just make it look worst then it is? and I want to make sure you cant tell there isnt a chip there unless you really look at it, I want a perfect job basically. Also my friend has chips put in before and I cant tell the chip was there! flawless job, same color as natural teeth too! thats what Im looking for but it seems all these dental shops are just in it for the money. Does anyone know a good place to go for a job like this? and what should be the total cost? Also Im thinking of whitening my teeth, and have been told that I should do that first before I do the chip job done, is this true? or should I do it after I bleech my teeth? does it matter???

Snap! I had the same problem. At first I had it filled with gold of all things...yes I wanted to be "flash" in more ways than 1.Then I grew up and had a white filling. The dentist had to drill a "key" in the back of my tooth to get it to stay in. Anyway the join became discoloured over time...the filling fell out and I ended up with a crown. Now...no problem and looks ace. I had this done in Dublin at a price that needed a second mortgage. The last crown I had was done in Phuket (A1 dentist) for 20% of the Dublin cost and as good a job. Happy days....Smile on! !

[tattoodrob]

My front tooth is a little bit chipped and Id like to get it fixed, so far I walked into a few dental offices and they all quoted me different prices from 200Baht to 600 Baht, Some say they need to cut it a bit more to put the chip On which I disagree because wouldnt it just make it look worst then it is? and I want to make sure you cant tell there isnt a chip there unless you really look at it, I want a perfect job basically. Also my friend has chips put in before and I cant tell the chip was there! flawless job, same color as natural teeth too! thats what Im looking for but it seems all these dental shops are just in it for the money. Does anyone know a good place to go for a job like this? and what should be the total cost? Also Im thinking of whitening my teeth, and have been told that I should do that first before I do the chip job done, is this true? or should I do it after I bleech my teeth? does it matter???

i presume they want to cut it a bit more coz the stuff they put on has to stick and if the chip is very small then will fall off easy.200 sounds cheap but maybe possible if tiny but i think around 600/700 is ok.if you gonna bleach/whiten then yes do it before getting the chip fixed as they can match the colour correctly if you get the chip done after...if you have it done before then they cannot bleach/whiten that tooth as will have a plastic type filling which wont bleach/whiten the same as a tooth will.the filling should not be noticeable after it is done but it will not last forever but for that price you can afford to have it filled again everytime it comes out.

[DragonQuest]

ok i'll get it done after the whitening , anyone know a good place to go for a professional job?

Edited February 9, 2008 by DragonQuest

[Beardog]

Dragonquest,

Do yourself a favor , if you want the job done right you need a crown . The ultraviolet treated resurface they use never works.

Had mine done at an Orthodonist in Pattaya that is great at crowns & bridges, but the tooth resurface became unglued in a month. Same story with my dentist I use in America for 21 years one month & toast. A crown will not usually fade & will last quite a while & it is around 5000 baht here in Thailand.Worth every satang!!!

[youngkiwi]

A dentist can fix the chip by filling it. This will achieve an excellent cosmetic result however is a temporary solution and depending on how you care for your tooth (no heavy biting into apples), it should last a few years. Ultimately, the long term solution is to have it crowned.

[Tony Clifton]

Get cavities fixed before bleaching or it will hurt.

If you're here for the long run, get the cap done, it's cheap enough, even if it breaks again, get it fixed.

[taxexile]

Do yourself a favor , if you want the job done right you need a crown

If you're here for the long run, get the cap done, it's cheap enough, even if it breaks again, get it fixed.

both statements completely incorrect.

a small to medium sized chip can be repaired with a simple acid etched composite restoration. takes about 30 minutes , no local anaesthetic needed , its a very simple procedure and within the capabilities of all dentists. the edges of the chip may need to be smoothed down or minimally shaped to aid the retention of the filling , but there is no removal of massive amounts of enamel as would be needed for a crown. preserve existing healthy tooth structure at all costs !!

crowning involves drilling the tooth enamel down to a smaller size to accept a crown , its a much more complicated procedure involving many skills and the end result and longevity of the restoration are dependant on good operator and technician skills.

having one upper central incisor crowned rarely results in a perfect cosmetic appearance , as it will never match the adjacent tooth exactly. when your face is seen by others , the eye picks up minute differences across the mid line of your face. if you are having one central incisor crowned and appearance is very important , then its better to have both cental incisors done. when replacing a small chip with composite , these factors just dont come into play to the same degree.

composite repairs can come off , usually when biting into chocolate bars , especially if there is a large area of the incisal edge of the tooth involved , you just have to be a little careful. the etching and adhesives used these days are incredibly efficient and if the procedure is carried out as it should be then you really dont need to worry too much

crowns can also come off or break too.

the op says his tooth has a small chip , dont under any circumstances have the tooth drilled down for a crown , crowns are a last resort for a grossly damaged or already heavily filled tooth where the filling(s) have failed.

the aesthetic results that can be obtained with composite are as good as if not better than a porcelain crown , unless the porcelain used is of the highest quality and produced by a top class dental technician using expensive firing furnaces and shade matching techniques incorporating translucency and reflection values. crowns will need replacing every few years anyway as natural gum recession exposes the crown margins , especially on highly visible anterior upper incisors , and if you have a high lip line when smiling.

if the composite chip fails , they can be quickly and easily replaced by any dentist for minimal cost ( anywhere from 700 to 1500 baht)

a good crown will cost 10,000 to 18,000 baht .

even if the filling needs replacing every two or three years (unlikely) , thats still 20 to 30 years before you have spent the amount for one crown.

have the bleaching done before the composite restoration , but remember that the results obtained by bleaching are temporary.

if the chip is a little on the large size , then consider a porcelain veneer rather than a crown. a crown is a last resort used to reair grossly broken down or grossly misshapen teeth , and the appearance of a venner is better than that of a crown.

Edited February 10, 2008 by taxexile

[DragonQuest]

guys my chip is like really, really small , like the size and tip of a normal pen, I dont think I need to cough up 10-18K baht to replace my whole healthy tooth do I????

[harleyclarkey]

guys my chip is like really, really small , like the size and tip of a normal pen, I dont think I need to cough up 10-18K baht to replace my whole healthy tooth do I????

Do it DQ...if it is that small then the cost of the replaceement every few years will be well worth it. I did have a big worry that I was grinding down an otherwise perfectly good tooth for the crown. On balance a filling is the ideal place for you to start......easy to go on to a crown. Not so easy to go back!!!

[jfchandler]

YIKES.... some reallly BAD dental advice offered here... Some people have been drinking too much!!!!

For a small chip. you DON"T need a crown. It can be repaired easily. I broke part of a back tooth lately where I'd had an old large filling, and thought I'd need a crown. But the dentist said NO and did an 'inlay" instead that didn't remove any of the remaining good tooth. And mine was a bigger problem. For yours, they don't even need to do that, just a small thing. They can use porcelain (to match your front teeth color) or other material as you desire.

For falang in BKK, one particular dental place comes very highly recommended for quality. I went there for the first time (for my broken tooth about two weeks ago) and I must say I agree. It was good service, and good quality, though not the cheapest price, but certainly within the market range.

http://www.dentalhospitalbangkok.com/index_eng.htm

They are located on Suk Soi 49, about a 10 minute walk away from the nearest Skytrain station. You can find many good comments about them in other threads on TV.

[tattoodrob]

Do yourself a favor , if you want the job done right you need a crown

If you're here for the long run, get the cap done, it's cheap enough, even if it breaks again, get it fixed.

both statements completely incorrect.

a small to medium sized chip can be repaired with a simple acid etched composite restoration. takes about 30 minutes , no local anaesthetic needed , its a very simple procedure and within the capabilities of all dentists. the edges of the chip may need to be smoothed down or minimally shaped to aid the retention of the filling , but there is no removal of massive amounts of enamel as would be needed for a crown. preserve existing healthy tooth structure at all costs !!

crowning involves drilling the tooth enamel down to a smaller size to accept a crown , its a much more complicated procedure involving many skills and the end result and longevity of the restoration are dependant on good operator and technician skills.

having one upper central incisor crowned rarely results in a perfect cosmetic appearance , as it will never match the adjacent tooth exactly. when your face is seen by others , the eye picks up minute differences across the mid line of your face. if you are having one central incisor crowned and appearance is very important , then its better to have both cental incisors done. when replacing a small chip with composite , these factors just dont come into play to the same degree.

composite repairs can come off , usually when biting into chocolate bars , especially if there is a large area of the incisal edge of the tooth involved , you just have to be a little careful. the etching and adhesives used these days are incredibly efficient and if the procedure is carried out as it should be then you really dont need to worry too much

crowns can also come off or break too.

the op says his tooth has a small chip , dont under any circumstances have the tooth drilled down for a crown , crowns are a last resort for a grossly damaged or already heavily filled tooth where the filling(s) have failed.

the aesthetic results that can be obtained with composite are as good as if not better than a porcelain crown , unless the porcelain used is of the highest quality and produced by a top class dental technician using expensive firing furnaces and shade matching techniques incorporating translucency and reflection values. crowns will need replacing every few years anyway as natural gum recession exposes the crown margins , especially on highly visible anterior upper incisors , and if you have a high lip line when smiling.

if the composite chip fails , they can be quickly and easily replaced by any dentist for minimal cost ( anywhere from 700 to 1500 baht)

a good crown will cost 10,000 to 18,000 baht .

even if the filling needs replacing every two or three years (unlikely) , thats still 20 to 30 years before you have spent the amount for one crown.

have the bleaching done before the composite restoration , but remember that the results obtained by bleaching are temporary.

if the chip is a little on the large size , then consider a porcelain veneer rather than a crown. a crown is a last resort used to reair grossly broken down or grossly misshapen teeth , and the appearance of a venner is better than that of a crown.

ISNT THAT WHAT I SAID ......more or less