If you have a chipped or broken tooth, rinse your mouth with warm water, keep any piece of tooth you find, and call a dentist the same day. Most chips are not an emergency, but a break that hurts, bleeds or shows pink in the middle needs seeing within hours. Here is what to do until then.
What to do in the first hour
- Rinse gently with warm water to clear away bits of tooth and food.
- Find the broken piece if you can. Keep it in a small container of milk or wrapped in clingfilm. A clean, large piece can sometimes be bonded back on.
- Stop any bleeding by biting gently on a clean, damp gauze or tea bag for 10 minutes.
- Reduce swelling with a cold pack wrapped in a tea towel, 10 minutes on and 10 minutes off.
- Take a painkiller you normally take, such as paracetamol or ibuprofen, following the packet. Never put an aspirin against the gum; it burns the tissue.
- Cover a sharp edge with a small piece of sugar-free chewing gum or dental wax from a chemist, so it doesn't cut your tongue or cheek.
- Chew on the other side and avoid very hot, very cold or sugary food and drink until you have been seen.
Is a chipped or broken tooth an emergency?
It depends on how deep the break goes. Use this as a guide, and if you are unsure, call us and describe it.
- Small chip, no pain: not urgent. Book an appointment within a few days so a sharp edge doesn't damage your tongue and the chip doesn't grow.
- Larger break, or sensitive to hot and cold: see a dentist within 24 hours. The inner layer of the tooth (dentine) is exposed, and it lets bacteria in.
- Pink or red spot in the middle, throbbing pain, or bleeding from the tooth: see a dentist the same day. The nerve is exposed and needs treatment to save the tooth.
- A whole adult tooth knocked out: this is the most urgent of all. Read what to do with a knocked-out tooth and get seen within the hour if you can.
Go to A&E or call 999, not a dentist, if you have swelling that spreads to your eye or neck, difficulty swallowing or breathing, or a head injury from the same accident.
How a dentist fixes a chipped or broken tooth
The repair depends on how much tooth is left and whether the nerve is involved. At your appointment we examine the tooth, usually take an X-ray, and explain the options and prices before starting anything.
- Smoothing and polishing for a tiny chip, often done in the same visit.
- Composite bonding for a chipped front tooth: tooth-coloured material is shaped onto the tooth to rebuild it. Composite bonding starts from £300 per tooth.
- A white filling for a broken back tooth with a smaller missing piece.
- A crown when a large part of the tooth has broken away, to hold what is left together. See dental crowns.
- Root canal treatment when the nerve is exposed or infected, followed by a filling or crown.
A tooth that is cracked rather than chipped can look fine but hurt sharply when you bite and release. Cracks spread, so book a check even if the pain comes and goes.
How a dentist fixes a chipped or broken tooth
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How to protect your teeth from chips
Same-day emergency dentist in Kingston upon Thames
Harmoni Dental keeps appointments free each day for dental emergencies, and you don't need to be a registered patient. An emergency appointment costs £80, or £50 for Harmoni Plan members and under-18s. That covers the examination and pain relief; we quote any further treatment before we start.
Call 020 3878 7465 as early in the day as you can, or message us on WhatsApp. We are at 59 Cambridge Road, Kingston upon Thames KT1 3NX, in Norbiton, with free parking on our forecourt. Outside our opening hours, call NHS 111 for advice.
How to protect your teeth from chips
- Wear a custom sports mouthguard for rugby, hockey, boxing and martial arts.
- Don't open bottles or packets with your teeth, or bite pens and fingernails.
- Ask us about a night guard if you grind your teeth; grinding wears and cracks teeth over years.
- Keep up regular check-ups, so weak fillings and early cracks are found before they break.
