Description:

Chipped, broken or cracked tooth

Chipping, breaking or cracking a tooth is usually not serious. A dentist should be able to treat it.

Non-urgent advice: See a dentist if you or your child has:

chipped, cracked or broken a tooth

If a piece of tooth has broken off, put it in milk or saliva (by spitting into a container if it's your tooth, or having your child spit into a container if it's theirs) and take it to a dentist. The dentist may be able to glue the piece of tooth back on.

Do not go to a GP. They will not be able to give you dental treatment.

Information:

How to see a dentist in an emergency or out of hours:

call a dentist – if they're closed, their answerphone may say what to do

If you do not have a dentist or cannot get an emergency appointment:

call 111 – they can advise you what to do
find a dentist near you – ask for an emergency appointment

You may have to pay for your appointment.

What the dentist will do

Treatments for a chipped, broken or cracked tooth include:

gluing the fragment of tooth back on
a filling or a crown (a cap that completely covers the broken tooth)
root canal treatment for a badly broken tooth where the nerves are exposed

Illness name: chipped broken or cracked tooth

Chipped, broken or cracked tooth

Non-urgent advice: See a dentist if you or your child has:

How to see a dentist in an emergency or out of hours:

If you do not have a dentist or cannot get an emergency appointment:

What the dentist will do