A chipped tooth can happen at any time; you can chip your tooth biting into hard food, by accidentally bumping your mouth on a doorknob or some other surface, or by playing sports and having a head injury. Your tooth can even get chipped doing a routine teeth cleaning, and a chip can be so unnoticeable that you don't think it requires dental care.

Should you see a dentist if your tooth is chipped but you can hardly tell? To be on the safe side, your dentist should be made aware of your dental mishap, no matter how minor it may be. Here are reasons why your dentist should be made aware if you have chipped your tooth.

You might have a microscopic crack in your tooth

Any impact that was severe enough to cause you to chip your tooth can be strong enough to also crack and damage your tooth in other ways. You need to have your dentist inspect your chipped tooth to ensure that other damage has not been done. If your tooth hardly looks damaged but the way you hurt your tooth was alarming — such as being hit with a blunt object — your dentist will likely want to do an X-ray to look for microscopic cracks and other weakened enamel signs.

You might have an issue with your tooth enamel

Your teeth should not chip easily. In fact, your tooth enamel is even stronger than your bones, so if you do chip your tooth, your dentist will want to examine your smile to see why your tooth chipped so easily. If your tooth enamel is weakened in any way, or thinning due to the foods you eat or other dental hygiene issues, your dentist will be able to spot these issues right away.

Your dentist will not only want to repair the damaged tooth, but they'll also want to ensure your tooth doesn't chip again. This can be done by placing a ceramic cap over your tooth, changing your toothpaste to one that strengthens tooth enamel, or performing other procedures to keep your teeth strong.

Strong, healthy teeth should not chip easily, so even a minor chip you can hardly see is cause for concern. Your dentist is in the business of preserving your smile and keeping your teeth healthy and strong, so make an emergency appointment to see your dentist as soon as you notice your tooth is chipped.