So you’re tearing up the dance floor at a friend’s wedding, when all of a sudden one of your pals lands an accidental blow to your face — chipping out part of your front tooth, which lands right on the floorboards! Meanwhile, your wife (who is nine months pregnant) is expecting you home in one piece, and you may have to pose for a picture with the baby at any moment. What will you do now?

Take a tip from Prince William of England. According to the British tabloid The Daily Mail, the future king found himself in just this situation in 2013. His solution: Pay a late-night visit to a discreet dentist and get it fixed up — then stay calm and carry on!

Actually, dental emergencies of this type are fairly common. While nobody at the palace is saying exactly what was done for the damaged tooth, there are several ways to remedy this dental dilemma.

If the broken part is relatively small, chances are the tooth can be repaired by bonding with composite resin. In this process, tooth-colored material is used to replace the damaged, chipped or discolored region. Composite resin is a super-strong mixture of plastic and glass components that not only looks quite natural, but bonds tightly to the natural tooth structure. Best of all, the bonding procedure can usually be accomplished in just one visit to the dental office — there’s no lab work involved. And while it won’t last forever, a bonded tooth should hold up well for at least several years with only routine dental care.

If a larger piece of the tooth is broken off and recovered, it is sometimes possible to reattach it via bonding. However, for more serious damage — like a severely fractured or broken tooth — a crown (cap) may be required. In this restoration process, the entire visible portion of the tooth may be capped with a sturdy covering made of porcelain, gold, or porcelain fused to a gold metal alloy.

A crown restoration is more involved than bonding. It begins with making a 3-D model of the damaged tooth and its neighbors. From this model, a tooth replica will be fabricated by a skilled technician; it will match the existing teeth closely and fit into the bite perfectly. Next, the damaged tooth will be prepared, and the crown will be securely attached to it. Crown restorations are strong, lifelike and permanent.

Was the future king “crowned” — or was his tooth bonded? We may never know for sure. But it’s good to know that even if we’ll never be royals, we still have several options for fixing a damaged tooth. If you would like more information, please contact us or schedule an appointment for a consultation. You can learn more by reading the Dear Doctor magazine articles “Repairing Chipped Teeth” and “Crowns and Bridgework.”

Yes, you brush your teeth every day. But how much do you really know about this important habit? Test your knowledge with our quiz on dental vocabulary.

Choose the correct meaning for:

1. Oral Hygiene
1. Clean language
2. The practice of keeping your teeth and gums clean
3. A shade of lipstick
4. A type of dental surgery
2. Biofilm
1. A movie about a person’s life, such as “Ray Charles”
2. A new kind of cling wrap
3. An accumulation of bacteria that forms a whitish, sticky film
4. A tooth whitener
3. Dental plaque
1. A type of instrument used to clean teeth
2. Bacteria that accumulate on teeth and gums
3. An award given at the Dental Oscar ceremony
4. Your dentist’s framed diploma
4. Inflammation
1. The body’s response to harmful bacteria
2. A condition in which your gums become red and swollen and bleed easily
3. A cause of gingivitis
4. All of the above
5. Periodontal disease
1. Any disease caused by bacteria
2. Tooth decay
3. Whitish sores on the lips
4. Gum disease caused by dental plaque
6. Disclosants
1. Simple dyes that can stain plaque and make it visible
2. Television reality shows
3. Dental x-rays
4. A section of your annual tax report
7. Gingivitis
1. Any infection in the oral area
2. Tooth decay
3. Inflammation of the gums that can lead to periodontal disease
4. All of the above
8. Dental caries
1. Gum disease
2. A task carried out during your teeth cleaning
3. A technique of orthodontia
4. Tooth decay
9. Fluoride
1. A mineral that has been found to prevent tooth decay
2. The location of a famous dental school
3. A gasoline additive
4. A type of house paint
10. Inter-dental Area
1. Referring to the area between your teeth
2. The area regular proper flossing will keep clean
3. Area that wood points and specially designed brushes can be used to clean
4. All of the above

Answers: 1. b, 2. c, 3. b, 4. d, 5. d, 6. a, 7. c, 8. d, 9. a, 10. d

How did you do on our quiz? The more you know about keeping your teeth and gums clean and healthy, the better you will look and feel. Contact us today to schedule an appointment or to discuss your questions about oral hygiene. You can also learn more by reading the Dear Doctor article, “Oral Hygiene Behavior.”