Chipped, cracked or broken tooth: what to do and how it is repaired

If you chip or break a tooth, keep any piece you find, rinse your mouth gently with warm water and see a dentist as soon as you can, ideally within a day or two. A small chip without pain is not an emergency, but a large break, a tooth that hurts or a piece that shows pink or red inside should be seen the same day. Depending on the damage, the tooth can usually be repaired with bonding, a filling, a crown or, if the nerve is affected, a root canal treatment.

What to do straight away

1. Rinse your mouth gently with warm water.
2. If you find the broken piece, keep it in a clean container with a little milk or water and bring it with you. It can sometimes be bonded back.
3. If there is bleeding, press gently with clean gauze for ten minutes.
4. For swelling, hold a cold pack wrapped in a cloth against the cheek.
5. Avoid chewing on that side and avoid very hot, cold or hard food.
6. A sharp edge can be covered temporarily with sugar-free chewing gum or dental wax from a pharmacy to protect the tongue and cheek.

For a child whose tooth has been knocked out or broken, read our guide on what to do in the first 30 minutes.

How urgent is it?

• Small chip, no pain: book an appointment in the coming days.
• Larger break, sensitivity to cold or air, or pain when biting: see a dentist within a day.
• Pink or red spot in the broken surface, strong pain, or bleeding from the tooth: the nerve may be exposed; see a dentist the same day.
• Facial injury, a loose or displaced tooth, swelling with fever or difficulty swallowing: seek urgent care the same day. Read more about facial swelling caused by a tooth.

Types of damage

A chip affects only the enamel, the hard outer layer. It is usually painless.

A fracture into the dentine, the layer under the enamel, often makes the tooth sensitive to cold and sweet things.

A fracture that reaches the nerve is usually painful and needs prompt treatment to save the tooth.

A cracked tooth may not show an obvious break. It often gives a short, sharp pain when you bite or release, and is common in teeth with large fillings and in people who grind their teeth.

A split tooth or a crack down the root is the most serious form; in some cases the tooth cannot be saved.

How a broken tooth is repaired

• Composite bonding rebuilds small chips in tooth-coloured material, usually in one visit.
• A white composite filling repairs a larger break in a back tooth.
• An inlay or onlay restores a back tooth that has lost a cusp but still has strong walls.
• A crown covers and protects a tooth that is badly broken or cracked.
• Root canal treatment is needed when the nerve is exposed or infected, usually followed by a crown.
• A veneer can restore the appearance of a broken front tooth.
• If the tooth cannot be saved, it is removed and the gap can be replaced, for example with an implant or a bridge. See options for replacing a missing tooth.

The dentist examines the tooth and usually takes an X-ray to check the root and the nerve before choosing the repair.

Preventing broken teeth

• Wear a mouthguard for contact sports.
• Do not use your teeth to open bottles or packets, and avoid biting ice, hard sweets or nut shells.
• If you grind your teeth at night, ask about a night guard.
• Have large old fillings checked at your regular check-ups.

Broken tooth repair at Ajam Dental Clinic in Tripoli

Ajam Dental Clinic is a dental practice on Fouad Chehab Boulevard in Tripoli, run by Dr. Abdel Rahman Ajam and Dr. Soumaya Ajam. If you break a tooth, send us a WhatsApp message describing what happened, and if possible a photo, so that we can advise you on how quickly to come in. Patients come from across Tripoli — Al-Qobbeh, Bab al-Tabbaneh, Jabal Mohsen and Dam wa Farez — and from the rest of North Lebanon. For children, contact Dr. Soumaya Ajam directly.

You can contact us by WhatsApp or phone.

This article provides general information for patients. It does not replace an examination by a dentist, who can advise you on your own situation.