Sadang Dental Clinic: Slight Chipping of the Front Tooth, Incisal Edge Fracture, Aesthetic Restoration with Same-Day Resin Filling

I am Director Park Jeong-gi of Seoul Remember at Sadang Dental Clinic.

If your front tooth chips due to an unexpected injury in daily life,

it is only natural to feel flustered.

In particular, the maxillary central incisors

have a direct impact on aesthetics,

so prompt treatment is needed.

Today at Sadang Dental Clinic,

we will look at the process of treating a chipped front tooth

and also share some medical information.

1. Slightly chipped front tooth

This was a case in which

the incisal edge of the upper right front tooth (tooth 11)

was fractured.

The clinical examination showed that,

fortunately, the fractured area

was limited to the enamel,

and the pulp was not exposed.

In addition, percussion testing,

which involves lightly tapping the tooth,

showed a negative response,

and in the cold test,

which evaluates the response when cold ice is applied,

it also showed a normal response,

so at this level, we judged that pulp vitality

was still being maintained.

At Sadang Dental Clinic, when these several tests suggest

that the tooth still has good vitality,

we can provide immediate restoration with resin.

2. Classification of the fracture and treatment plan

Tooth fractures are classified according to the Ellis classification

as Class I (enamel only),

Class II (enamel and dentin),

and Class III (up to the pulp).

The case shown today at Sadang Dental Clinic

corresponds to Ellis Class I,

and it appears possible to restore it directly

with composite resin.

Treatment options for an incisal edge fracture

depend on the extent of the break.

Resin, laminate, and crown

are among the available methods,

and which method is chosen can be selected by the patient

based on the clinician’s diagnosis.

In this case, because the fracture was limited

to the incisal edge

and structural stability was maintained,

we proceeded with resin filling,

which minimizes both time and cost.

3. Treatment process

At Sadang Dental Clinic,

we first accurately evaluate the fractured area

and check the condition of the surrounding tooth structure.

Then, after selecting the shade while also considering

the translucency of the incisal edge area,

we restored it.

If dentin is exposed

or if the patient feels they may become sensitive during the procedure,

partial local anesthesia can be used then

to minimize discomfort.

After thoroughly cleaning the broken area,

we created a bevel on the surrounding margin

to increase the bonding surface with the resin,

and to minimize polymerization shrinkage,

we used an incremental technique,

building the material up layer by layer.

After filling, we checked the occlusion,

and after confirming that the lower teeth were not contacting too much

or that the incisal edge did not appear overly long,

we made slight adjustments if needed.

We also checked that the boundary with the natural tooth

was not stepped,

and finished by polishing it smoothly

so that it blends naturally.

4. Post-treatment precautions

At Sadang Dental Clinic,

we will briefly explain a few precautions after resin treatment.

1. For 24 hours, it is better to avoid foods that stain easily

(coffee, wine, curry, etc.).

2. Biting hard foods with the front teeth

or biting your nails can cause re-fracture,

so caution is needed.

3. Through regular checkups,

it is important to confirm the marginal adaptation

and any discoloration of the resin restoration.

A slightly chipped incisal area

can often be resolved on the same day

with resin filling.

Of course, as in today’s Sadang Dental Clinic case,

pulp damage must be absent

and structural stability must be maintained

for aesthetics and function to be restored

without invasive prosthetic treatment.

Just because a tooth is chipped

does not mean that everyone needs a crown or laminate.

Through an accurate diagnosis,

it is important to choose a conservative yet satisfying method.

That concludes today’s content.

Thank you for reading.

This was Director Park Jeong-gi of Seoul Remember at Sadang Dental Clinic.

Treatment date: 2025.11.25