Breaking or chipping a tooth is one of the most common reasons people suddenly need a dentist. How urgent it is depends entirely on how much damage there is.
Is it an emergency
A small chip with no pain can wait for a normal appointment. Treat it as urgent if a large piece has come away, there is a sharp edge cutting your tongue or cheek, there is a lot of pain, bleeding that will not stop, or any swelling.
What to do right now
- Rinse your mouth with warm water to clean the area.
- If it is bleeding, press a clean piece of gauze or tissue on it until it stops.
- Hold a cold compress against the outside of your cheek to keep swelling down.
- Take paracetamol or ibuprofen if you need pain relief and are able to take them.
- Keep any broken piece in milk or saliva and bring it with you, as it can sometimes be bonded back on.
- Avoid chewing on that side, and avoid very hot or very cold food and drink.
Getting seen
- Phone your own dentist first. NHS practices keep urgent slots for their own patients.
- If you have no dentist, or you are in a lot of pain, call NHS 111, which books urgent NHS appointments.
- Private emergency appointments typically run £80 to £400 for examination and a temporary repair.
What the repair is likely to cost
It depends on the damage. A small chip may just be smoothed or bonded. A larger break can need a filling, a crown, root canal treatment, or in the worst case the tooth taken out. On the NHS a filling or root canal is Band 2 and a crown is Band 3. See private dentist prices and the emergency dentist cost breakdown for the figures.
Go to A and E if
Swelling is spreading towards your eye, neck or throat or affecting breathing or swallowing, bleeding will not stop after 20 minutes of firm pressure, or you may have broken your jaw.