Usually not, if there’s no pain, bleeding or sharp edge, though you should book soon. A broken tooth, severe pain, swelling or a knocked-out tooth needs urgent attention.
Chipped, Cracked or Broken Tooth: Repair Options and When It’s an Emergency
📍 Bethnal Green, East London | 📞 020 8980 2890
A hard crust, a fall off a bike or a night of clenching can leave you with a damaged tooth. This guide shows you how to judge the urgency, then explains the three paths a dentist considers for a broken tooth: save it, rebuild it or replace it.
Short answer: A small chip with no pain is rarely an emergency and can be repaired at a booked appointment. Severe pain, swelling, bleeding, a knocked-out tooth or a large break needs urgent dental advice. Most damaged teeth can be saved or rebuilt, and replacement is the last resort.
How Urgent Is Your Tooth?
Call 999 or go to A&E if you have:
- a head or facial injury, or have lost consciousness
- difficulty breathing or swallowing
- swelling spreading towards your eye or neck
- bleeding that won’t stop
Call a dentist straight away (NHS 111 if we’re closed) if:
- an adult tooth has been knocked out or pushed out of position
- you have severe or throbbing pain, swelling, a pimple on the gum or a bad taste
- a large piece has broken off
Call us as soon as you can if:
- the tooth is broken or sensitive to hot, cold or biting
- a sharp edge is cutting your tongue or cheek
Book a routine appointment if:
- it’s a small, painless chip, though don’t leave it for weeks
Knocked-Out Adult Tooth
Pick it up by the crown, not the root. Rinse it very briefly in milk or water, without scrubbing. Push it gently back into the socket if you can and bite on a clean cloth. If you can’t, keep it in milk. Call immediately. Never replant a baby tooth, as it can damage the adult tooth underneath. The NHS gives similar advice (NHS inform: broken or knocked-out tooth).
Until You’re Seen
- Rinse gently with warm water, and use a cold compress on your cheek if it swells.
- Eat soft food on the other side.
- Take paracetamol or ibuprofen if suitable for you, following the pack instructions.
- Cover a sharp edge with sugar-free gum or dental wax, and keep any broken piece in milk.
Please don’t use household glue or put aspirin against the gum.
Please check our contact page for current opening hours. If we’re closed, call NHS 111 for urgent dental advice.
Three Paths for a Damaged Tooth
After an examination and, usually, an X-ray, your dentist will consider whether your tooth can be saved, rebuilt or replaced. The aim is to keep as much of your natural tooth as possible.
Path 1: Rebuild It
When enough healthy tooth remains, we can restore the shape and strength of the tooth directly.
- Smoothing and polishing for tiny chips
- Composite bonding for small to medium chips, mainly on visible teeth
- A filling for moderate breaks, especially at the back
- A porcelain veneer for a larger chip on a front tooth, or where the colour and shape also need improving
Path 2: Save It
When the damage is bigger, the tooth often needs protecting rather than just filling.
- An inlay or onlay for a cracked cusp or a failed large filling
- A crown to hold a heavily damaged or cracked tooth together
- Root canal treatment when the nerve is damaged or infected, usually followed by a crown
Path 3: Replace It
If a tooth has split below the gum line or can’t be restored, it may need to be removed. Replacement options include:
- A single-tooth implant, which replaces the tooth and root
- A bridge, anchored to neighbouring teeth
- A denture, a removable option
See what is a dental implant for more. Replacement is the last resort, which is one more reason not to wait with a damaged tooth.
Costs and NHS Options
Costs depend on the treatment, and we’ll explain them before anything starts. Our NHS treatment page explains what’s available, and our prices page lists private fees.
Why Waiting Costs You More
Enamel can’t regrow, so a damaged tooth won’t heal on its own. Left alone, it can:
- crack further, moving you from Path 1 to Path 2 or 3
- let decay reach the exposed tooth
- become infected if the nerve is exposed
- leave a sharp edge that keeps cutting your tongue or cheek
What Breaks Teeth in the City?
- A hard crust, boiled sweets, ice and nut shells
- A bike fall on the canal towpath or a pothole, or a trip on a busy pavement
- A collision in a five-a-side match, or a sprint on a Victoria Park run
- Grinding or clenching, often linked to a stressful week or long commute
- Old fillings that have weakened the tooth around them
- Decay that has hollowed out the tooth
- Age, as teeth become more brittle
Protecting Your Teeth
- Wear a mouthguard for contact sport
- Ask us about a night guard if you grind (see teeth grinding)
- Don’t use your teeth as tools
- Have old fillings checked at your regular dental examination
- Treat decay early
Children’s teeth often take knocks in the playground. Have a damaged baby tooth checked. See our children’s dentistry page.
Nervous About the Dentist?
If a broken tooth also brings back worries about dental visits, tell us when you call. We’ll explain each step and work at your pace.
Dental Care for Bethnal Green and East London
Puresmile Bethnal Green Dental & Implants is in Bethnal Green, East London. We welcome patients from Bethnal Green, Shoreditch, Spitalfields, Whitechapel, Stepney, Mile End, Globe Town, Bow, Cambridge Heath and Hackney.
If you’ve damaged a tooth, call 020 8980 2890 as early as you can and tell us it’s urgent. We aim to see patients with urgent problems as soon as we can.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is a chipped tooth a dental emergency?
What should I do if I break a tooth in Bethnal Green?
Rinse your mouth, keep any piece in milk, cover sharp edges, take suitable pain relief and call us on 020 8980 2890. If we’re closed, call NHS 111.
Is there an emergency dentist in Bethnal Green?
Call us as early as you can and tell us what’s happened. We aim to see patients with urgent problems as soon as we can. Out of hours, call NHS 111.
Can a chipped tooth be repaired?
Yes. Options include smoothing, bonding, veneers, fillings, inlays and onlays, and crowns, depending on the damage.
Can a broken tooth be saved?
Often, yes. Whether it can be depends on how much healthy tooth remains and whether the nerve and root are damaged. Your dentist will advise after an examination.
What happens if I leave a chipped tooth?
It won’t heal, and the damage can spread, leading to decay, infection or a bigger repair.
How do I know if my tooth is cracked?
Signs include pain when you bite that eases when you let go, sensitivity to hot and cold, and pain that comes and goes. Cracks can be hard to see, so an examination is the only way to be sure.
What if a tooth has been knocked out?
Hold it by the crown, rinse it briefly, push it back into the socket if you can or keep it in milk, and call us immediately. Never replant a baby tooth.
When does a broken tooth need replacing?
When it has split below the gum line or can’t be restored. Options include an implant, a bridge or a denture.
How much does it cost to repair a broken tooth?
It depends on the treatment and whether you choose NHS or private care. We’ll confirm costs before we begin.
Broken a Tooth? Call Us.
The sooner a damaged tooth is seen, the more of it we can usually save.
CALL 020 8980 2890 OR BOOK AN APPOINTMENT
Puresmile Bethnal Green Dental & Implants, Bethnal Green, East London
