Broken tooth: what to do and when it is urgent

First distinguish a dental problem from a serious injury

Call 112 for breathing difficulty, unconsciousness, serious facial injuries or heavy bleeding that does not stop. Vomiting or double vision after a blow to the head also needs immediate medical assessment. Managing these injuries comes before searching for a tooth fragment.

If only a small corner has chipped without an accident or symptoms, this is not automatically a hospital emergency. Still, contact a dental practice promptly so it can advise when you should attend. If the whole tooth is out, follow the first-aid guidance for front-tooth injuries and seek dental help immediately.

NHS: How to find an emergency or urgent NHS dentist appointment; geprüft 14. Mai 2025 · Bundesministerium für Gesundheit: Nummern für den Notfall · NHS: Chipped, broken or cracked tooth; geprüft 9. Januar 2025 · IADT/ASD 2024: Guidelines for prevention of traumatic dental injuries, Part 10: First aid education, Tewari et al.

Keep the tooth fragment safe

Pick up any fragment and place it in milk or your own saliva in a clean, closable container. Do not carry it loose in the mouth: it could be swallowed or inhaled. Bring it even if it looks too small. Examination will establish whether it can be reattached.

A lost filling, inlay or artificial crown is different from a piece of natural tooth. Bring these parts too, but do not use household glue to attach anything. If you are unsure what came off, simply explain that when you call.

If a tooth fragment or restoration may have been inhaled, immediate medical assessment in an emergency department is needed. Call 112 if there is breathing difficulty. Do not wait for a routine dental appointment.

NHS: Chipped, broken or cracked tooth; geprüft 9. Januar 2025 · IADT/ASD 2024: Guidelines for prevention of traumatic dental injuries, Part 10: First aid education, Tewari et al. · NHS: How to find an emergency or urgent NHS dentist appointment; geprüft 14. Mai 2025 · SDCEP: Cracked, fractured, loose or displaced tooth fragments and restorations · Bundesministerium für Gesundheit: Nummern für den Notfall

Protect the area until it is examined

Chew on the other side if possible and avoid hard foods against the affected area. Do not repeatedly test a crack by biting down hard. Continue cleaning gently without further irritating an injury. A sharp edge needs professional care, not filing with a nail file.

Do not place a painkiller tablet directly on the tooth or gum. If pain relief is needed, ask a pharmacist or dental team what is suitable for your age, medical conditions and other medicines. It does not replace examination.

American Association of Endodontists: Cracked Teeth · IADT-Leitlinie 2020: Injuries in the primary dentition, Day et al. · NHS: How to find an emergency or urgent NHS dentist appointment; geprüft 14. Mai 2025 · SDCEP: Cracked, fractured, loose or displaced tooth fragments and restorations

Broken molar: tooth wall or filling?

A cusp next to a large filling can break off a molar, sometimes with surprisingly little pain. Alternatively, a filling may have come out or a crack may extend deeper into the tooth. The depth cannot reliably be judged from the outside. Pain when biting or releasing pressure, and new sensitivity to cold, are useful details to report.

The amount of sound tooth structure remaining matters for treatment. A broken corner and a vertically split tooth are different findings. Describing a tooth as “half broken” alone cannot establish whether it needs a crown or removal.

American Association of Endodontists: Cracked Teeth · IADT-Leitlinie 2020: Fractures and luxations, Bourguignon et al. · SDCEP: Cracked, fractured, loose or displaced tooth fragments and restorations

What the examination needs to establish

Four details help: When did it happen? Was there a fall or a hard bite? Is a piece missing, or is the tooth also loose? What symptoms have appeared since? After an accident, the surrounding tissues, lips and neighbouring teeth also need assessment. Imaging may be needed depending on the findings; every small chip does not require the same tests.

Options can include reattaching a suitable fragment, rebuilding the tooth with filling material or providing a protective restoration. If the pulp, the living tissue inside the tooth, is affected, additional treatment is considered. Not every broken tooth needs root canal treatment. The appropriate option can only be identified after examination.

IADT-Leitlinie 2020: Fractures and luxations, Bourguignon et al. · NHS: Chipped, broken or cracked tooth; geprüft 9. Januar 2025 · DGET: Traumatologie – Leitlinien und Empfehlungen · SDCEP: Cracked, fractured, loose or displaced tooth fragments and restorations

After repair: what still matters

Changes after an accident can appear later. Keep planned follow-up appointments and report new pain, swelling, looseness or a colour change. Being symptom-free alone does not prove that healing is uncomplicated. A repair can restore the shape, while the longer-term course also depends on the depth and type of injury.

For a current injury, call a dental practice and describe the symptoms. If it is unavailable, use the official emergency dental service search provided by the North Rhine dental chamber. Call the listed practice before travelling there too. This guide explains the steps to take; it does not replace examination.

IADT-Leitlinie 2020: Fractures and luxations, Bourguignon et al. · Zahnärztekammer Nordrhein: Zahnärztlicher Notfalldienst

Common questions

Related reading

• Front-tooth injuries: first aid after a fall or impact
• Tooth fractures: understanding the different types
• What a tooth preservation kit does
• Options for dental fillings
• Contact the practice about a current tooth injury