I chipped my front right tooth. How much does it cost to get this tiny chip repaired permanently? (photo)

Question

My dentist repaired it using tooth colored resin but same day a piece came off...the last time he repaired it, it lasted for a few years. How much does it cost to get this tiny chip repaired permanently?

Michael Ayzin, DDS · Answer

Well ,there 3 ways to repair a tooth. A bonding, which was done apparently several times. Cost is $200-300. Veneering will last a lot longer for the cost $1,000-2,500. Crowning is the last resort for about the same price. There must be a reason why repairs do not hold. Based on the pic you provided, it seems like you might be grinding or clenching your teeth. If so, please consider a nightguard appliance, which will serve as an insurance for your lasting dental work.

Jessica Wyatt, DDS · Answer

In the photo you sent, the chipped area doesn't seem large but fractures of this size and location can be a bit tricky depending on your habits (chewing nails, ice, grinding your teeth, etc) and depending on how you bite on this tooth. If a filling is done in this area, without insurance, it can run anywhere from $150-300 depending on where you live. If you have a filling done several times and it keeps coming off, you may need a more aggressive treatment, such as a veneer, that will be longer lasting. No matter what treatment is done, a careful evaluation of your biting, grinding, and chewing habits will need to be done to ensure that the restoration does not fail. Hope this helps!

Paula S. Gould, DDS · Answer

Believe it or not, small chips are not easy to repair. Bonding, the procedure of colored filling material applied to the tooth, can only adhere well to larger surfaces. That is why small chips sometimes break off when eating, or if the bite is not carefully adjusted to avoid the lower teeth from hitting it, cause easy breakage.
So this is a loaded question. First, a thorough bite examination is needed to see how the other teeth hit this edge. AND how did this chip occur in the first place? If it came about from wear or interference from other teeth, a few additional steps are needed. Adjusting the interference to avoid the chip, and possibly creating a small "preparation" into enamel to get more area to bond to.
A knowledgeable cosmetic dentist performs all of these steps and tests automatically to increase the chances of the filling staying a reasonable amount of time.  Even so,  a few replacements of a small chip over the years should be anticipated. There is a lot of wear and tear from eating, and tooth movement on a tiny bonded area. So larger breaks may be easier to repair than small ones!
Lastly, if the color and or shape of the teeth are also poor, or there are other large fillings, a porcelain veneer will remedy all of the problems at once.
So cost cannot be determined. one chip is not the same as the next!

Andy Shieh, DMD · Answer

Contrary to what is look like (such a small defect) but these chips are the worst to repair.  Most common method is white fillings.  Down side to that is since it's such a small area, the white filling will break off months later with more tooth structure break off with each time a new white filling is placed.  Fast forward 5-10 years, that tooth will be crowned or veneered.  The most durable to repair that chip is a crown or veneer.  It just unfortunate to spend so much money on such a little defect.  Remember, you read it here first.  White filling will not hold or last on these type of chips.

Jeffrey Green, DDS · Answer

The success of a small restoration on a front tooth like that is very dependant on how carefully your treat it.  If you tend to grind your teeth at night you might benefit from a nightguard.  It looks from the picture that you also have a small fracture on your other front tooth. In either case you can't be biting off hard things with your front teeth.  I would be reluctant to due some larger restorative procedure for such a small fracture.

Graham T. Egger, DDS · Answer

A tiny chip on the edge of the tooth can cost anywhere from a little over $100 dollars to well over $1000 dollars depending upon the procedure and material used. Bonding tooth colored composite is typically several hundred dollars whereas a porcelain veneer can be over $1000. As you have experienced composite bonding while less expensive can be prone to repeated chipping. If you are looking for a long term solution you may want to explore if there are underlying issues that are causing the chipping. One frequent cause is teeth or a bite that is not in alignment. This can cause the front teeth to come together in a manner that puts too much force on the edges of the front teeth and in this case no material would be permanent.

Lance Timmerman, DMD, MAGD - Account Suspended · Answer

Everything done in dentistry will eventually fail, just as these resins have.  Some things take longer to fail, so the associated costs will be more.  In this case, a bonded porcelain veneer instead of a bonded composite resin may last longer, and will likely cost $1000-2000.  A cheaper option would be to do yet another resin, but then wear a night guard so that you don't grind your teeth while you sleep.

Victoria Veytsman, DDS - Account Suspended · Answer

This tooth could be repaired with wither bonding or a porcelain restoration. These vary quite a bit in fees based on the city you are in, with the porcelain veneer/crown being more expensive. check with your local dentist or this website does provide average costs per treatment based on location.

Neal Nealis, DDS (retired) · Answer

Cosmetic dentistry has a wide range of fees.  They depend upon the need for esthetics and durability.  In regard to chipped teeth the choice is usually between bonding and porcelain.  Bonding is a material that is predominantly plastic.  The material looks great initially but wears, chips and discolors causing a need to be periodically replaced.  So where it is cheap initially, over the long term it can be quite costly.  Porcelain veneers on the other hand are more difficult to make, require two appointments and the needs the help of a laboratory technician in between the two visits.  Consequently they will initially cost more in the short term, but because they seldom require replacement and retain their appearance for a lifetime, they become less expensive in the long term.

I chipped my front right tooth. How much does it cost to get this tiny chip repaired permanently? (photo)

Answers (9)

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