Short answer
Rinse your mouth with warm water, save any broken pieces, use a cold compress for swelling and avoid chewing on that side. Call a dentist the same day if there is pain, sharp edges, bleeding or a large piece missing. A small chip without pain can usually wait a few days, but should still be checked. Treatment ranges from smoothing or bonding a chip to a crown, root canal treatment or, for a tooth split through the root, extraction.
Key takeaways
- Severe pain, swelling, a large break or a tooth knocked loose need same-day dental care.
- A small painless chip is less urgent, but cracks can grow, so it should still be examined.
- Pain when biting that stops when you release is a classic sign of a cracked tooth.
- The earlier a crack is found and protected, the more likely the tooth can be saved.
Teeth are strong, but they are not unbreakable. Biting something hard, a fall or sports injury, grinding at night, or a large old filling can all lead to a chip, crack or break. Some of these need same-day care and some can wait a few days, but almost all need a dentist to look. This guide covers what to do right away, how to tell how urgent it is, and how each type of damage is usually repaired.
What to do right away
- Rinse gently with warm water to clean the area.
- Save any pieces. Keep them in a small container with milk or water and bring them to your appointment.
- Control bleeding by pressing a clean gauze pad or damp tea bag on the area for 10 minutes.
- Reduce swelling with a cold compress on the outside of the cheek, 10 to 15 minutes at a time.
- Manage pain with an over-the-counter pain reliever, following the label and any advice from your pharmacist or doctor. Do not place aspirin directly on the gum.
- Protect sharp edges with dental wax or temporary filling material from a pharmacy.
- Avoid chewing on that side, and avoid very hot, cold or sugary foods until the tooth is examined.
- Call a dentist. Describe what happened and your symptoms so the office can decide how quickly you need to be seen.
How urgent is it?
Call for same-day care if you have:
- Severe pain, or pain that keeps you awake
- A large piece of tooth missing
- A pink or red spot in the broken area, which can mean the nerve is exposed
- Bleeding that does not stop with pressure
- A tooth that has been pushed out of position or is loose
- Swelling in the gum or face
Go to a hospital emergency department if you have trouble breathing or swallowing, swelling spreading toward the eye or neck, a high fever, heavy bleeding, or a possible broken jaw or head injury. Our article on whether to see an emergency dentist or go to hospital explains the difference.
It can usually wait a few days if a small chip is not painful and has no sharp edge. Book an appointment anyway, because small chips can hide deeper cracks.
Chipped, cracked or broken: what is the difference?
Chipped tooth
A small piece of enamel breaks off, often from the edge of a front tooth or the corner of a back tooth. It may feel rough to the tongue but often does not hurt.
Cracked tooth
A crack runs into the tooth but the pieces have not separated. Cracks can be hard to see and hard to find even on X-rays. A classic sign is a sharp pain when biting that stops, or even peaks, when you release. Some cracked teeth are also sensitive to cold.
Broken tooth
A larger part of the tooth, such as a whole cusp, breaks off. Back teeth with large fillings are especially prone to this, because the filling leaves thin walls of tooth around it.
The five types of cracks
The American Association of Endodontists describes five types of cracks in teeth:
- Craze lines: tiny surface lines in the enamel. They are common, usually harmless and generally only need monitoring.
- Fractured cusp: a piece of the chewing surface breaks, often around a large filling. It rarely affects the nerve and is usually repaired with a crown or onlay.
- Cracked tooth: a crack runs from the chewing surface down toward the root. Early protection, usually with a crown, can stop it spreading. If it reaches the nerve, root canal treatment may also be needed.
- Split tooth: a crack that has gone all the way through, separating the tooth into parts. Sometimes part of the tooth can be saved, but often it cannot.
- Vertical root fracture: a crack that starts in the root. It may show few symptoms until the gum or bone becomes infected, and it often means the tooth or that root must be removed.
Cracks can grow over time and change from one type to another, which is why early assessment matters.
How is a damaged tooth fixed?
The right repair depends on how much tooth is lost, where the damage is, and whether the nerve is involved:
- Polishing or smoothing for a tiny chip with a rough edge
- Bonding with tooth-coloured composite resin for small to moderate chips, often finished in one visit
- Veneer for a chipped front tooth where appearance matters, when a larger cosmetic repair suits the tooth
- Onlay or crown for a broken cusp, a cracked tooth or a tooth with a large filling, to hold it together and protect it from further breakage
- Root canal treatment when a crack or break reaches the nerve, followed by a crown
- Extraction when the tooth is split through the root or cannot be restored, followed by a discussion of replacement options
Our article on how restorative dentistry repairs broken or worn teeth explains these options in more depth.
What happens at the appointment?
The dentist asks what happened, examines the tooth and bite, and usually takes X-rays. To find a crack, they may ask you to bite on a special instrument one cusp at a time, shine a bright light through the tooth, or use dye to show the crack line. They will then explain the options, including what happens if you wait, and give an estimate.
What if a child chips a tooth?
Children chip teeth often, usually from falls, playground accidents or sports. Stay calm, rinse the mouth, look for any missing pieces and call the dentist.
- Baby teeth: A small chip often only needs smoothing. A large break, a tooth pushed into the gum or a tooth that changes colour over the following weeks should be examined, because an injured baby tooth can affect the permanent tooth developing underneath.
- Permanent teeth: Young permanent teeth have large nerves and roots that are still forming, so even a modest break can expose the nerve. Prompt care can protect the nerve and help the root keep developing.
- Knocked-out permanent tooth: This is urgent. Our guide on what to do if a permanent tooth is knocked out explains the steps that give the tooth the best chance.
Never try to put a knocked-out baby tooth back in its socket, as this can damage the permanent tooth.
How to protect your teeth from breaking
- Wear a mouthguard for contact sports. Our guide on how to choose a mouthguard explains the options.
- Wear a night guard if you grind or clench in your sleep.
- Don’t chew ice, hard candy, popcorn kernels, pens or fingernails.
- Don’t use your teeth as tools to open packages or bottles.
- Ask about large old fillings. A tooth with a large filling and visible cracks may be protected with an onlay or crown before it breaks.
Broken tooth care at Regal Heights
If you have chipped, cracked or broken a tooth, contact our St. Clair West team and describe what happened so we can advise how soon to come in. Learn more about our restorative dentistry, from bonding to crowns.
Frequently asked questions
Is a chipped tooth an emergency?
A small chip with no pain is not usually an emergency, but book a visit within a few days. A large break, a visible pink or red spot in the tooth, severe pain, swelling or bleeding should be seen the same day.
Can a cracked tooth heal on its own?
No. Enamel and dentin do not grow back, and a crack can deepen over time. Early treatment, often a crown, holds the tooth together and can stop the crack from spreading.
What should I do with the broken piece?
Keep it clean and moist, in a small container with milk or water, and bring it to your appointment. Sometimes a fragment can be bonded back on, though it is often replaced with new material.
Can I use dental wax or temporary filling material?
Yes. Dental wax or an over-the-counter temporary filling material from a pharmacy can cover a sharp edge until your appointment. Do not use household glue.
Will my insurance or CDCP cover a broken tooth?
Most plans cover exams, X-rays, fillings and, with conditions, crowns and root canals. Under the Canadian Dental Care Plan, emergency exams have no frequency limit, while crowns need preauthorization. Ask for an estimate before treatment.
