Usually not, if there’s no pain, bleeding or sharp edge, though you should book an appointment 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
📍 The Broadway, Farnham Common, Buckinghamshire | 🚗 Ample Parking | 📞 01753 646868
Not every damaged tooth is the same. A chip on a front tooth is a different problem from a crack in a molar, and both differ from a child’s broken baby tooth or a knocked-out adult tooth. The repair, and how urgent it is, depends on which tooth, how it’s damaged and how much is left.
At PureSmile Dental & Implants in Farnham Common, we repair damaged teeth for patients across South Buckinghamshire. This guide is organised by situation, so you can find yours quickly: a front tooth, a back tooth, a tooth with a filling, a child’s tooth, or a tooth that’s been knocked out.
Short answer: A small chip is rarely an emergency and can be smoothed or repaired at a booked appointment. A broken tooth, severe pain, swelling, bleeding or a knocked-out tooth needs urgent dental advice. Repairs range from polishing and composite bonding to veneers, crowns and root canal treatment, depending on how much of the tooth is damaged.
First: Is It an Emergency?
Call us as early as you can if:
- A tooth is broken, or a piece has come away and the tooth hurts
- You have severe or throbbing pain, swelling, a pimple on the gum or a bad taste
- A tooth has been knocked out or pushed out of position
- A sharp edge is cutting your tongue or cheek
Book an appointment soon if:
- You have a small chip with no pain
- A tooth is rough, or mildly sensitive to hot or cold
- A crack seems to come and go
Call 999 or go to A&E if: you’ve had a facial or head injury, you’re struggling to breathe or swallow, swelling is spreading towards your eye or neck, or you can’t stop the bleeding.
If we’re closed, call NHS 111 for urgent dental advice.
Until you’re seen: rinse gently with warm water, keep any fragment in milk, cover sharp edges with sugar-free gum or dental wax, hold a cold compress to your cheek, eat soft food on the other side, and take pain relief such as paracetamol or ibuprofen, following the pack instructions, if suitable for you. Please don’t use household glue or put aspirin against the gum. The NHS gives similar advice (NHS inform: broken or knocked-out tooth).
Which Tooth Is Damaged? Find Your Situation
Situation What We Usually Look At Typical Repair A front tooth, small chip + Appearance, shape and colour Smoothing or composite bonding A front tooth, larger break + How much tooth remains, and your smile Bonding, a porcelain veneer or a crown A back tooth, broken or cracked + Strength under biting forces Filling, inlay or onlay or crown A tooth around a large old filling + Whether the filling has weakened the tooth Onlay or crown Pain when biting, easing on release + Signs of a crack that’s hard to see Crown, sometimes root canal treatment Exposed nerve, throbbing pain + Whether the nerve is damaged or infected Root canal treatment, then a crown Tooth split below the gum + Whether it can be saved Often extraction, then an implant or bridge Cracks can be hard to see, and may not show on X-rays, which is why a proper examination of the tooth and your bite matters, even if the pain comes and goes.
If It’s a Front Tooth
Visible damage is upsetting, but front teeth respond well to repair. Bonding rebuilds a chip in tooth-coloured resin, shaped and polished to blend in. For larger breaks, or where the colour or shape needs improving too, a porcelain veneer covers the front of the tooth. If you’d like to discuss a wider improvement, see our smile makeover page.
If It’s a Back Tooth
Molars take heavy chewing forces, so a repair has to be strong. A filling may be enough for a moderate break, while a cracked cusp or a tooth with a large filling often needs an inlay, onlay or crown to hold it together.
If It’s a Tooth With a Filling
Large old fillings can weaken the tooth around them, and the wall beside a filling is a common place for a crack. Replacing an old filling with an onlay or crown, before it breaks, can prevent it.
If It’s a Child’s Tooth
Children’s teeth chip and break often. A chipped baby tooth may need no treatment, but always have it checked, in case the nerve or the developing adult tooth is affected. See our children’s dentistry page.
If a Tooth Has Been Knocked Out
This is an emergency, and speed matters.
- Hold the tooth by the crown (the white part), not the root
- If it’s dirty, rinse it very briefly in milk or water, without scrubbing
- Gently push it back into the socket if you can, and bite on a clean cloth
- If you can’t, keep it in a small container of milk
- Call us immediately, or NHS 111 if we’re closed
Never push a knocked-out baby tooth back in, as it can damage the adult tooth underneath. Take your child to a dentist straight away.
What Happens at Your Appointment
Your dentist will examine the tooth, check your bite and usually take an X-ray to look at the root and the surrounding bone. We’ll explain what we’ve found, the options and the costs before any treatment starts.
NHS or private? Fillings, crowns and root canal treatment can be provided on the NHS for patients who qualify, while cosmetic repairs such as bonding and veneers are private. See our NHS treatment page.
Why Do Teeth Chip and Crack?
- Biting on hard foods, ice, pen lids or fingernails
- Falls and knocks, such as tripping on a woodland path or a sports injury
- Teeth grinding or clenching, especially at night
- Large old fillings that weaken the tooth around them
- Tooth decay that has hollowed out the tooth
- Sudden temperature changes
- Age, as teeth become more brittle over time
Protecting Your Teeth
- Wear a mouthguard for contact sports
- Ask about a night guard if you grind your teeth (see our teeth grinding page)
- Don’t use your teeth as tools
- Have old fillings checked at your regular dental examination
- Treat decay early
Nervous?
Pain and worry often come together. Tell us when you call, and we’ll go at your pace. We offer sedation options for suitable patients.
Find Us in Farnham Common
PureSmile Dental & Implants is at 1 Ashley House, 1 The Broadway, Farnham Common SL2 3PQ, next door to Broadway Tyres, near Burnham Beeches. There’s ample parking around the practice, which helps when you’re in a hurry. We’re easy to reach from the M40 (junction 2) via the A355 towards Beaconsfield, and bus route 74 stops at the Foresters Pub. We’re open Monday to Friday, 8:30am to 5pm.
If you’ve damaged a tooth, call 01753 646868 as early as you can and tell us it’s urgent. We welcome patients from Farnham Common, Farnham Royal, Burnham, Stoke Poges, Hedgerley, Beaconsfield, Gerrards Cross and Slough.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is a chipped tooth a dental emergency?
What should I do if I break a tooth near Slough?
Rinse your mouth, keep any piece in milk, cover sharp edges, take suitable pain relief and call us on 01753 646868. If we’re closed, call NHS 111.
Do you see patients with dental emergencies in Farnham Common?
We aim to see patients with urgent problems as soon as we can. Call us as early as possible and tell us what’s happened.
Can a chipped tooth be repaired?
Yes. Options include smoothing, bonding, veneers, fillings, inlays and onlays, and crowns, depending on the size of the damage.
Can a back tooth be repaired as well as a front tooth?
Yes, though back teeth often need stronger restorations such as onlays or crowns because of the chewing forces.
How do I know if a tooth is cracked?
Signs include pain when you bite that eases when you release, 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.
Can a cracked tooth be saved?
Often, yes, with a crown, and sometimes root canal treatment, especially if caught early.
What should I do if a tooth is 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.
Does repair hurt?
Treatment is carried out under local anaesthetic where needed, and we’ll explain what to expect first.
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 01753 646868 OR BOOK AN APPOINTMENT
PureSmile Dental & Implants, 1 Ashley House, 1 The Broadway, Farnham Common SL2 3PQ
