I have broken a tooth: what should I do?
Keep the fragment if you have found it, rinse your mouth with water and contact the practice. Depending on the fracture, bonding the fragment back, a filling or a crown may be considered.
Dental emergencies
A tooth can break after a knock, when biting on something hard, or because it was already weakened by a cavity or an old filling. The fracture may affect only the enamel, reach the dentine, or even expose the nerve.
If you find the piece, keep it in a little milk or saliva: it can sometimes be bonded back. Rinse your mouth with lukewarm water and apply something cold to the cheek if the lip or gum is swollen. If a sharp edge hurts your tongue, avoid chewing on that side.
Contact the practice for an appointment. A small fracture can often be repaired simply. A more extensive fracture may require a crown, and an exposed nerve may require root canal treatment.
If the knock also affected your face, or if there is bleeding that will not stop, a fever, swelling spreading towards the eye or neck, or difficulty swallowing or breathing, go to the hospital emergency department.
This is a general answer. Only a consultation at the practice can tell what suits your situation.
Other questions in this section
- I have an abscess or a swollen cheek: what should I do?
- A tooth has come out after a knock: what should I do?
- My crown or filling has come out: what should I do?
- My temporary crown has come off: is it serious?
- I am still in pain several days after an extraction: is that normal?
- I have severe toothache at night: how can I relieve it?
- The treatment in detail : Dental emergency
- See the whole section
- All frequently asked questions