In many cases, it can be easy to try to and gauge the severity of an oral health concern by what you can see and feel. For example, if you notice a small piece of your tooth has chipped off, or a light crack has developed in its surface, then it might seem like a minor concern for your oral health in general. Unfortunately, this common mistake often leads to seemingly minor tooth damage becoming much more severe before patients finally seek treatment to restore it. Today, we examine why you should treat all forms of tooth damage as soon as possible.

What minor tooth damage means

What many people consider minor tooth damage is the type of concern that affects your tooth structure to a limited degree and, typically, doesn’t cause any significant discomfort. For cases such as chipped or lightly cracked teeth, the lack of discomfort can be due to the fact that the damage only impacts the tooth’s resilient layer of enamel and a small amount of its main structure, called dentin. The impact of the damage might not be highly visible, or noticeable at all, which can also lend to the misconception that it isn’t serious.

Why “minor” isn’t exactly accurate

Conditions that seem to have a minimal impact on your tooth structure may seem minor, but the truth is that any change to the natural tooth structure at all can be of significant concern. One reason is because such changes are permanent. Your natural tooth structure doesn’t heal itself when damaged or altered, meaning any level of damage will continue to impact the tooth long-term. The pressure of biting and chewing on the tooth every day will also make the damage worse, and a more significant fracture or break may compromise the tooth before you realize what’s happening.

Restoring and saving the tooth

Saving a tooth from more extensive damage is an important reason to treat it as soon as possible, no matter how minor the damage seems at first. Another important reason is that treating a tooth early, before its concern has a chance to grow more severe, helps you keep your treatment plan more minimally invasive overall. The fact that the damage seems minor is an advantage that you can benefit from if you restore the tooth and save it from experiencing further trouble.

Learn how to fix seemingly minor tooth damage

Even when your tooth damage seems minor, it’s important to fix it as soon as possible, or you could risk the tooth becoming more severely compromised. To learn more, schedule a consultation by calling the Dental Centre of Conroe in Conroe, TX, today at (936) 441-4600. We serve patients from Conroe and all neighboring communities.