Chipped or broken tooth: what to do now and how it can be fixed
Written with input from the clinical team at Hakimi Dental Clinic, Oldbury. All of our dentists are registered with the General Dental Council.
It usually happens in a split second. You bite down on an olive stone, take a knock playing football, or feel something crunch while eating a boiled sweet. Then your tongue finds a sharp edge where smooth tooth used to be.
A chipped tooth or broken tooth is one of the most common reasons people book an emergency appointment with us. The good news is that most breaks can be repaired, often in a single visit. The key is knowing how serious yours is and what to do in the meantime.
This guide is based on what our dentists see and treat every week at our practice on New Birmingham Road.
First, what to do in the next hour
Whatever kind of break you have, these steps help protect the tooth until you can be seen.
- Rinse your mouth gently with warm water to clear away any small fragments.
- Find the broken piece if you can. For front teeth especially, a large fragment can sometimes be bonded back on. Keep it in a small container of milk or water and bring it with you.
- Stop any bleeding by pressing a clean piece of gauze or a damp tea bag on the area for 10 minutes.
- Hold a cold compress against your face if there’s swelling or you’ve taken a knock.
- Cover sharp edges. A piece of sugar-free chewing gum or dental wax from a chemist stops the edge cutting your tongue or cheek.
- Take a painkiller if you need one. Paracetamol or ibuprofen can help. Follow the dose on the packet.
- Chew on the other side and avoid very hot, cold or hard food.
- Book to see a dentist. Even if it doesn’t hurt, a broken tooth is weaker than before and can crack further.
How serious is it? A guide to the different types of break
Not all breaks are the same. Here’s how dentists think about them, from the most minor to the most serious.
Tiny lines or a very small chip
What you’ll notice: fine lines in the enamel (sometimes called craze lines), or a small rough corner off the edge of a front tooth. Usually no pain at all.
How urgent: not an emergency. Mention it at your next check-up, or book sooner if the edge is sharp.
Likely fix: often just smoothing and polishing, or a small amount of tooth-coloured filling material.
A noticeable chip or broken corner
What you’ll notice: a visible piece missing, perhaps a little sensitivity to cold or sweet things. The tooth might feel rough to your tongue.
How urgent: worth seeing a dentist within a few days. The exposed layer underneath the enamel (dentine) is softer and more prone to decay and sensitivity.
Likely fix: composite bonding or a white filling, usually done in one appointment.
A large break or a broken back tooth
What you’ll notice: a big part of the tooth has come away, often where there was an old filling. You may have sharp pain when biting or with hot and cold.
How urgent: see a dentist within a day or two.
Likely fix: a larger filling, an onlay, or a dental crown to hold the remaining tooth together and stop it splitting.
A break that reaches the nerve
What you’ll notice: a pink or red spot in the middle of the broken area, bleeding from the tooth itself, or strong, throbbing pain.
How urgent: this is a dental emergency. Try to be seen the same day.
Likely fix: root canal treatment to remove the damaged nerve, followed by a crown to protect what’s left.
A tooth split down the middle or broken below the gum
What you’ll notice: part of the tooth moves when you bite, or the break seems to run up into the gum. There may be pain and swelling.
How urgent: same-day emergency.
Likely fix: sometimes the tooth can be saved, but often it needs to be removed. We’ll talk you through the options for replacing it afterwards.
If your tooth hasn’t broken but has a crack you can feel rather than see, our earlier guide on whether a cracked tooth needs to be pulled goes into more detail.
When to go to A&E instead
A broken tooth on its own is a job for a dentist. But if the injury that broke it was more serious, go to A&E or call 999 if you have:
- A head injury, especially if you were knocked out, feel sick, confused or drowsy
- A jaw that won’t close properly or may be broken
- Heavy bleeding that won’t stop after 10 to 15 minutes of pressure
- Swelling that affects your breathing, swallowing or spreads to your eye
If a whole tooth has come out, that needs urgent action within the hour. Our knocked-out tooth guide explains exactly what to do.
How dentists repair a chipped or broken tooth
The right repair depends on how much tooth is missing, where it is in your mouth and whether the nerve is involved. Here’s a quick comparison of the main options.
Treatment | Best for | Number of visits | How long it typically lasts |
|---|---|---|---|
Smoothing and polishing | Tiny chips and rough edges | One, often a few minutes | Permanent |
Composite bonding | Small to medium chips, especially front teeth | One | Around 5 to 7 years with good care |
White filling | Broken areas on back teeth | One | Around 5 to 10 years |
Onlay or crown | Large breaks or heavily filled teeth | Usually two | Often 10 to 15 years or more |
Root canal and crown | Breaks that reach the nerve | Two or more | Many years, with a crown on top |
Extraction and replacement | Teeth that can’t be saved | Several, depending on replacement | Depends on the option chosen |
A few things worth knowing:
- Bonding and white fillings are matched to the shade of your teeth, so a repaired front tooth should blend in naturally.
- Back teeth take a lot of force when you chew. A large break in a molar often needs a crown, even if it doesn’t hurt, because the remaining tooth can split.
- If a tooth does need to come out, options to fill the gap include a dental implant, a bridge or a denture.
Your dentist will always explain your options, what each one involves and the cost before any treatment starts. Nothing happens without your agreement.
What happens at your emergency appointment
If you come to see us with a broken tooth, here’s what to expect.
We’ll ask what happened. How the tooth broke matters. A knock to the face, for example, can damage the nerve even if the visible chip is small.
We’ll examine the tooth and usually take an X-ray. This shows whether the break goes near the nerve or below the gum, and whether the root is damaged.
We’ll get you comfortable. If you’re in pain, our priority is relieving it. That might mean smoothing a sharp edge, placing a temporary filling or treating the nerve.
We’ll agree a plan. For many small chips, we can repair the tooth there and then. For bigger breaks, we may place a temporary repair and book you back for a crown or other treatment.
Our emergency dentist appointments in Oldbury start from £25, and we’re open six days a week, including Saturdays and Sundays. That means a tooth broken on a Friday night doesn’t have to wait until the following week.
Why teeth break, and how to protect yours
Healthy teeth are very strong, but some things make breaks more likely.
- Large old fillings. A tooth with a big filling has less natural structure holding it together, so the walls around the filling can snap.
- Tooth decay. Decay weakens teeth from the inside, sometimes without any pain until a piece breaks off.
- Grinding and clenching. Night-time grinding puts huge pressure on teeth over time. Our guide on how to stop grinding your teeth at night covers this in detail.
- Biting hard things. Ice, boiled sweets, pen lids, popcorn kernels and using your teeth to open packets are common culprits.
- Sport without a mouthguard. Contact sports like rugby, boxing and hockey are a frequent cause of broken front teeth.
The best protection is catching weak spots early. At a routine dental check-up, your dentist looks for cracks, worn fillings and early decay that could lead to a break. Check-ups at our practice start from £35.
Regular visits to our dental hygienist also help, because healthy gums support your teeth and a professional clean makes it easier for your dentist to spot problems.
Why patients choose Hakimi Dental Clinic
Hakimi Dental Clinic is a private practice at 51A New Birmingham Road in Tividale, Oldbury. Our team of GDC-registered dentists sees emergency patients every day we’re open, and many of our reviews come from people who arrived in pain and left with the problem sorted.
What we hear most often from patients is that they value being seen quickly, having everything explained clearly and knowing the cost upfront. That’s how we like to work. If you need an emergency dentist in Oldbury, we’ll do our best to see you the same day.
You can call us on 07393 488 234. If you need advice when we’re closed, ring NHS 111.
Disclaimer
The information in this article is intended for general educational guidance only and does not constitute personalised dental advice. For concerns about bite development or the dental effects of a finger-sucking habit, please book an appointment with a qualified dental professional.
Hakimi Dental Clinic is a dental practice at 51a New Birmingham Road, Oldbury, B69 2JF. We offer dental check-ups from £35, Invisalign orthodontic treatment, general dentistry, dental hygiene appointments, emergency dental appointments from £25, dental implants, composite bonding, porcelain veneers, teeth whitening, dental crowns and smile makeovers.
FAQs
A small chipped tooth with no pain usually isn’t an emergency, but it’s still worth getting checked within a few days. If the chip is large, painful, bleeding or shows a pink spot in the middle, see a dentist the same day, as the nerve may be exposed.
No. Unlike bone, tooth enamel and dentine can’t grow back. A broken tooth will stay broken and can get worse over time, so it needs to be repaired by a dentist.
Often, yes. Small to medium chips on front teeth can usually be repaired with composite bonding in a single visit. The material is matched to your tooth colour and shaped to look natural.
Yes, if you can find it. Keep it in milk or water and bring it to your appointment. In some cases, especially with front teeth, the dentist can bond the original piece back on.
It depends on the treatment you need. Smoothing a small chip costs very little, while a crown or root canal costs more. At Hakimi Dental Clinic, emergency appointments start from £25, and we’ll always give you a clear price for any treatment before we begin.