What caused a small piece of tooth to fall out?

If a small piece of your tooth falls off, it may be that the enamel on the surface of the tooth is corroded by the acid in the mouth. If the tooth defect is caused, it can actually be restored through some repair methods. Of course, the most important thing in life is to protect your dental health.

1. The enamel on the surface of the teeth is corroded by the acid in the mouth. If the teeth begin to fall off, it means that the teeth have begun to mineralize. It is estimated that the acidity in the mouth is quite strong. If you are not careful, it will not only corrode one tooth, but the other teeth will gradually become like this.

To effectively prevent this situation, firstly, effective protection needs to be formed on the surface of teeth corroded by acid to repair and prevent further mineralization; secondly, the acidic environment of the oral cavity needs to be improved to make the teeth less susceptible to erosion.

2. Tooth preparation: Two days before cosmetic restoration, periodontal cleaning should be performed to remove tartar on the teeth and periodontium and pigments deposited on the tooth surface. When repairing, you must first make necessary preparations for the teeth. You can use a non-fluoride-based and non-oil-based toothpaste or use pumice powder and water to wash the enamel surface. You can also use 3% hydrogen peroxide to clean the tooth surface. If necessary, the tooth surface can be ground and then thoroughly cleaned with clean water and blown dry with an air gun, but care must be taken to prevent saliva from contaminating the tooth surface. Pay attention to removing decayed tooth substance and existing fillings. The edge of the cavity is ground into a slope 3 to 4 mm wide and long to remove the remaining very weak enamel and provide a gradual transition surface from the composite resin to the enamel part. If necessary, a retention dovetail should be prepared, or a retention bracket and self-tapping screws should be used to assist retention.

3. Color comparison: Use a color guide to select restoration materials of similar colors based on the tooth to be repaired and the adjacent teeth.

4. Protect the dental pulp: For teeth with active pulp and exposed dentin, calcium hydroxide should be used as a base to avoid stimulation of the dental pulp tissue by the restorative material. Calcium hydroxide can be prepared using a double paste to form a solid preparation. Apply a layer of well-mixed calcium hydroxide paste evenly on the exposed dentin, and proceed to the next step after it solidifies.

5. Acid-etched tooth surface: Place polyester film on the adjacent surfaces of the teeth to protect the adjacent teeth from being etched by acid. The prepared tooth part is coated with 35% phosphoric acid preparation, and the effect of acid etching agent applied on calcium hydroxide covering the dentin is not affected. Etch for about 1 minute and apply the etchant every 20 seconds if necessary. Afterwards, rinse the etchant with a water gun for at least 20 seconds. After rinsing it clean, blow the tooth surface dry. The tooth surface that has been completely etched will appear chalky white.