---
title: "What Is Chipped tooth? Dental Glossary | Town Center Dental"
description: "A chipped tooth has lost a small piece of its hard outer layer, the enamel. A hard bite or an injury can cause it."
url: https://towncenterdental.multisites.ai/glossary/chipped-tooth
publisher: Town Center Dental
phone: +1-636-273-5866
quote: https://towncenterdental.multisites.ai/request-appointment
---

Emergency

# Chipped tooth

A chipped tooth has lost a small piece of its hard outer layer, the enamel. A hard bite or an injury can cause it.

A chipped tooth happens when a fragment of the tooth's outer protective layer breaks off. Trauma to your mouth or biting something hard can cause it. Even a fall or biting down on a fork can do it.

Cleveland Clinic says depending on how serious the chip is, you may need dental work to repair the tooth and protect it from further damage. Treatment can range from polishing a small chip to [bonding](https://towncenterdental.multisites.ai/glossary/dental-bonding), a veneer, or a [crown](https://towncenterdental.multisites.ai/glossary/dental-crown) if a large piece is lost. A chip cannot be fixed at home, so schedule a visit.

Save any piece you can find, and rinse your mouth with warm water. If the chip is deep, or you have pain or bleeding, call your dentist. Compare with a [fractured tooth](https://towncenterdental.multisites.ai/glossary/fractured-tooth). See enamel and [dental bonding](https://towncenterdental.multisites.ai/services/dental-bonding).

[Town Center Dental can helpDental Bonding](https://towncenterdental.multisites.ai/services/dental-bonding)

## Related terms

-   [Fractured tooth](https://towncenterdental.multisites.ai/glossary/fractured-tooth)
-   [Enamel](https://towncenterdental.multisites.ai/glossary/enamel)
-   [Dental bonding](https://towncenterdental.multisites.ai/glossary/dental-bonding)
-   [Dental crown](https://towncenterdental.multisites.ai/glossary/dental-crown)
-   [Dental veneers](https://towncenterdental.multisites.ai/glossary/dental-veneers)

## Sources

1.  [Cleveland Clinic: Chipped Tooth](https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/chipped-tooth)
2.  [Cleveland Clinic: Chipped Tooth](https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/chipped-tooth)

## Ready when you are

[Request an appointment](https://towncenterdental.multisites.ai/request-appointment)[Call (636) 273-5866](tel:+1-636-273-5866)