A chipped front tooth: filling, restoration, veneer or crown — what to choose and what it costs
The edge of a front tooth has chipped — what to do in the first few hours, how a composite restoration (from 32,000 ₸), a veneer (150,000 ₸) and a crown (100,000 ₸) differ, when a scan and root canal treatment are needed, and how the choice is made. A Tursunov Clinic case on restoring incisors. Astana.
Key points
- A small edge chip (up to 2–3 mm, no pain) means a composite restoration in a single visit, from 32,000 ₸. This is the most common and the most conservative option.
- A chip larger than a third of the tooth, old fillings nearby, or a dark shade — a veneer (150,000 ₸) or a crown (100,000 ₸) is discussed.
- Sharp pain from cold, or a pink dot visible in the middle of the chip, means the nerve is involved — root canal treatment comes first, then restoration.
- In the first few hours: keep the chipped piece in water or milk (it can sometimes be reattached), avoid biting on it, take a pain reliever if it hurts, and book a visit within the next few days.
What to do right away
Find the chipped fragment. If it is large, put it in water or milk and bring it with you: in some cases it can be bonded back on.
Don't touch the sharp edge with your tongue — it cuts. You can temporarily cover it with a piece of sugar-free chewing gum.
Don't eat on that side or bite down on it. A cracked tooth can break further.
A pain reliever — if it reacts to cold or aches.
Book a visit within the next 1–3 days. This is not an emergency, but it should not be put off either: exposed dentin absorbs staining and bacteria, and the chip grows.
The clinic sees patients in pain without an appointment; without pain, it is by appointment — the consultation is free.
What the doctor decides at the exam
Three questions determine the choice:
How much chipped off. An edge, a corner, half the crown?
Is the nerve alive. An X-ray (a CBCT segment, 4,500 ₸) and a cold test. If the chip reaches the pulp, root canal treatment comes first (65,000 ₸ per canal under a microscope) — otherwise any restoration would sit on an inflamed tooth.
What the bite is like. If the front teeth meet edge-to-edge, or there is grinding, composite at the edge will chip again — an argument for ceramic.
Option 1: composite restoration — from 32,000 ₸
The doctor builds up the missing part layer by layer with composite, matching the shade and translucency to the neighbouring teeth, then shapes and polishes it. One visit, 1–1.5 hours, no preparation of healthy tissue.
Suits: chips up to a third of the tooth, a live nerve, a gentle bite.
Lasts: 5–7 years with careful use; the edge can darken slightly over time, at which point it is polished or refreshed.
Price: 32,000 ₸ for a restoration; 60,000 ₸ if a third of the tooth is destroyed.
This is exactly what was done in the clinic's case: chips and unevenness on the central incisors were restored with restorative material, matching the shade and structure separately — without crowns.
Option 2: a veneer — 150,000 ₸
A ceramic (zirconia) shell on the front surface of the tooth. It requires light preparation of the enamel and is made in a lab — two visits.
Suits: a chip larger than a third, a dark or mottled tooth, several defects on one tooth, wanting to change the shape.
Lasts: 10–15 years, and does not change colour.
Drawback: the preparation is irreversible; matching the shade of a veneer on a single tooth is harder than matching several at once.
Option 3: a crown — 100,000 ₸
Covers the tooth completely. Needed when less than half of the crown portion remains, or when the tooth is fragile after root canal treatment.
Zirconia — 100,000 ₸, metal-ceramic — 85,000 ₸; for a front tooth, zirconia is used, since it does not leave a grey line at the gum.
While the permanent crown is made, a temporary crown is fitted (20,000 ₸).
If the tooth is broken right at the gumline, preparation is sometimes needed (crown-lengthening, 15,000 ₸).
How the choice is made: in brief
Edge chip, live nerve, gentle bite — restoration, 32,000 ₸
Up to a third chipped, tooth has fillings or is dark — veneer, 150,000 ₸
More than half chipped, or the tooth is post-canal treatment — crown, 100,000 ₸
Pain from cold, a pink dot — canal treatment first, 65,000 ₸, then a crown
A crack along the root — extraction and an implant — rare, decided from the scan
Related services and guides
Frequently asked questions
Can the chipped piece just be glued back on?
Sometimes — if the fragment is large and intact, it is bonded back with adhesive. Bring it with you.
Will the restoration be visible?
Not with the right shade match; in the clinic's case the incisors were restored exactly this way, indistinguishable from the rest.
How long does a front-tooth restoration last?
5–7 years; longer if you avoid cracking nuts or opening bottles with your teeth.
Restoration or a veneer for one tooth?
If the goal is just to close the chip, a restoration. If you also want to change the shape and colour, a veneer — usually placed on several teeth at once.