# Can I File A Front Tooth? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 11, 2012, 5:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-file-a-front-tooth/609132 "2012-01-11T05:06:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![SeaDragonTattoo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df705f/32.png) [@SeaDragonTattoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SeaDragonTattoo)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2012, 5:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-file-a-front-tooth/609132/1 "2012-01-11T05:06:18Z")
And with what, if I can? I chipped the teeniest, tiniest, little bitty bit off the very edge of a front tooth. Just enough that I can feel a tiny jagged edge with my tongue or if I scrape a fingernail over it. Can’t tell there’s a chip by looking at it. It might be the size of a grain of salt. Would a household, regular, fine-grit emery board do the trick? Seems like such a tiny thing to go to the dentist for, and I just had my cleaning last week, so would rather not take another trip over there. It will probably wear to smoothness in a week or something, but I’ll just play with it with my tongue like a weirdo until it wears evenly enough for me not to notice any more. I’d rather just get it over with if I can do it simply without doing damage. I probably did it chewing a cuticle. Bad habit. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2012, 5:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-file-a-front-tooth/609132/2 "2012-01-11T05:15:22Z")
I don’t have an answer for you other then to say that I have dentists file teeth down for me a few times. My front teeth have that serrated look to them that some people have and one dentist took that down a bit. Another time I lost half a molar and the resulting edge was razor sharp so they filed it down. Both times they used their rotary tool to do it though. If it was _me_, yeah, I’d probably just do it if it was bugging me that much. I’m guessing a few passes would at least take the edge off without doing any more damage. But that’s just my opinion. Actually, I probably wouldn’t. I’m guessing after a day or so I’d forget about it. The one on my molar I was really worried about cutting my tongue on which is why I had them file it down (of course, I was already in the chair having the tooth worked on to begin with). ---
**Author:** ![heavyarms553](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/779978/32.png) [@heavyarms553](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/heavyarms553)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2012, 5:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-file-a-front-tooth/609132/3 "2012-01-11T05:43:46Z")
Your tooth will smooth itself down in time. You don’t need to worry about it. ---
**Author:** ![Rhythmdvl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@Rhythmdvl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhythmdvl)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2012, 5:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-file-a-front-tooth/609132/4 "2012-01-11T05:56:59Z")
I can’t be the only one reading this thread and thinking… …no, wait, I can barely think at the moment because of the **INTENSELY LOUD SCREAMING MY BRAIN IS DOING.** Where’s the “Aiiiieeeee!!!” smiley? ---
**Author:** ![Enola\_Gay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/3ab097/32.png) [@Enola\_Gay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enola_Gay)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2012, 5:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-file-a-front-tooth/609132/5 "2012-01-11T05:57:58Z")
I chipped the bottom part of my front tooth off a few years ago. It was a teeny tiny V-shaped chip that most people couldn’t notice, but my tongue was obsessed with it and since the chip was sharp, I kept getting little lacerations on my tongue. My dentist took a metal file and filed it down til it was even. It felt a little weird, but wasn’t painful. FYI he also filed the _other_ front tooth so they would be even. ---
**Author:** ![Al\_Bundy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e79b87/32.png) [@Al\_Bundy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Al_Bundy)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2012, 12:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-file-a-front-tooth/609132/6 "2012-01-11T12:21:41Z")
I did the same thing a year ago. It was a front tooth and easy to get a good angle. I used a diamond nail file. It took many many passes to feel a difference, but I felt better than if it had cut down like butter. ---
**Author:** ![Cicero](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cicero/32/3594_2.png) [@Cicero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cicero)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2012, 1:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-file-a-front-tooth/609132/7 "2012-01-11T13:03:20Z")
You get a tooth once in your life time? (After baby teeth). Get to a professional. ---
**Author:** ![AndyLee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/898d66/32.png) [@AndyLee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AndyLee)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2012, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-file-a-front-tooth/609132/8 "2012-01-11T16:41:55Z")
This is an easy fix, but you have to have a dentist do it. Don’t let it file down on it’s own, which it will. It can file int he wrong direction and snap off. Plus if it’s a real problem your dentist can do it, and tell you, so you’ll know to start saving for a cap, which will run between $500 - $700 USD ---
**Author:** ![Hampshire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hampshire/32/4887_2.png) [@Hampshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hampshire)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2012, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-file-a-front-tooth/609132/9 "2012-01-11T17:07:11Z")
> [@heavyarms553](#): > > Your tooth will smooth itself down in time. You don’t need to worry about it. Pretty much this but if you want to help it on it’s way try brushing with a mildly abrasive toothpaste. Something with baking soda. ---
**Author:** ![LurkerInNJ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ed655f/32.png) [@LurkerInNJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LurkerInNJ)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2012, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-file-a-front-tooth/609132/10 "2012-01-11T17:40:35Z")
I would have a dentist file and polish it because rough surfaces from a do it yourself job could yield rough surfaces that attract plaque and you could get a cavity. Having a small chip filed and polished is not expensive. ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2012, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-file-a-front-tooth/609132/11 "2012-01-11T20:15:34Z")
Damn. I was hoping you were asking about filing it to a point. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![eg8576736](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8baadc/32.png) [@eg8576736](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eg8576736)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2017, 5:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-file-a-front-tooth/609132/12 "2017-01-13T05:06:38Z")
> [@SeaDragonTattoo](#): > > And with what, if I can? > > I chipped the teeniest, tiniest, little bitty bit off the very edge of a front tooth. Just enough that I can feel a tiny jagged edge with my tongue or if I scrape a fingernail over it. Can’t tell there’s a chip by looking at it. It might be the size of a grain of salt. > > Would a household, regular, fine-grit emery board do the trick? Seems like such a tiny thing to go to the dentist for, and I just had my cleaning last week, so would rather not take another trip over there. It will probably wear to smoothness in a week or something, but I’ll just play with it with my tongue like a weirdo until it wears evenly enough for me not to notice any more. I’d rather just get it over with if I can do it simply without doing damage. > > I probably did it chewing a cuticle. Bad habit. I found this question after a getting similar but larger chip on the lower edge of a front tooth, which also left a sharp snag. Tooth enamel is half as hard as diamonds and dentists use diamond files or strips to shape teeth. I was able to blunt the sharp edge with the back of a ceramic knife (see Mohs scale) but that wasn’t an actual file. You can buy a diamond file set for under $10 on Amazon and it seems like a good DIYS project without needing a dentist. I’d do it in fine increments and it shouldn’t damage anything. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2017, 10:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-file-a-front-tooth/609132/13 "2017-01-13T10:42:31Z")
File it under “I” for “Incisor”… ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2017, 11:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-file-a-front-tooth/609132/14 "2017-01-13T11:43:09Z")
nm duplicate. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2017, 11:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-file-a-front-tooth/609132/15 "2017-01-13T11:48:53Z")
Do zombies file their teeth?