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
📍 22 Northfield Avenue, West Ealing W13 9RL | 🚗 Free 30-Minute Parking Outside | 📞 020 8840 5651
When a tooth chips or breaks, the advice you’ll find online is often confusing, and sometimes plain wrong. “It’ll settle down.” “Just use some glue.” “If it doesn’t hurt, ignore it.” Some of these are harmless, but a few can cost you the tooth.
At Puresmile Ealing Dental & Implants in West Ealing, we repair damaged teeth for patients across Ealing and West London. This guide clears up the most common myths, explains when a damaged tooth is an emergency, and sets out the repair options.
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.
Seven Myths About Chipped and Broken Teeth
Myth 1: “A chipped tooth will heal itself.”
Fact: Tooth enamel can’t regrow. A chip needs smoothing or repair, and leaving it can lead to further damage or decay.Myth 2: “If it doesn’t hurt, it doesn’t matter.”
Fact: Many chips and cracks are painless at first. A rough edge can cut your tongue or cheek, and a crack can spread. It’s still worth getting checked.Myth 3: “I can glue it back with superglue.”
Fact: Household glue isn’t safe for your mouth, and it can make a proper repair harder. If you have the broken piece, keep it in milk and bring it with you. Sometimes it can be bonded back professionally.Myth 4: “A cracked tooth would show on an X-ray.”
Fact: Cracks are often too fine to see on X-rays. A dentist can find them by examining the tooth and checking your bite and symptoms.Myth 5: “A dental emergency means an A&E visit.”
Fact: For most damaged teeth, a dentist is the right place to go, and NHS 111 can advise out of hours. A&E is for facial or head injuries, trouble breathing or swallowing, spreading swelling, or bleeding you can’t stop.Myth 6: “If a tooth is knocked out, it’s gone for good.”
Fact: An adult tooth can often be saved if it’s put back quickly. Hold it by the crown, rinse it briefly, push it back into the socket if you can, or keep it in milk, and call a dentist immediately. Never replant a baby tooth.Myth 7: “A broken tooth always needs to come out.”
Fact: Most damaged teeth can be saved with bonding, an onlay, a crown or root canal treatment. Extraction is usually only needed when the tooth has split below the gum line.When Should You Call Us?
Situation What to Do Small chip, no pain + Book an appointment in the next few days Sharp edge cutting your tongue or cheek + Cover it with sugar-free gum or dental wax and call for the next available appointment Broken tooth, or sensitivity to hot, cold or biting + Call as early as you can, and tell us it’s urgent Severe pain, swelling, a pimple on the gum or a bad taste + Call straight away, as this can signal infection Knocked-out adult tooth + Call us immediately Facial or head injury, trouble breathing or swallowing, spreading swelling, or heavy bleeding + Call 999 or go to A&E If we’re closed, call NHS 111 for urgent dental advice.
While you wait: rinse gently with warm water, keep any fragment in milk, 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. Avoid putting aspirin against the gum. The NHS gives similar advice (NHS inform: broken or knocked-out tooth).
How a Damaged Tooth Is Repaired
Your dentist will examine the tooth, check your bite and usually take an X-ray to look at the root and the surrounding bone. Then they’ll talk you through the options:
- Smoothing and polishing for tiny chips
- Composite bonding: tooth-coloured resin is built up, shaped and polished to restore small to medium chips, mainly on visible teeth
- Porcelain veneers: a thin porcelain shell bonded over the front of the tooth, for larger chips or where shape and colour also need improving
- Inlays and onlays: custom-made restorations for a cracked cusp or a failed large filling
- Fillings: rebuilding moderate breaks, particularly at the back
- Crowns: a cap that covers and protects a heavily damaged or cracked tooth
- Root canal treatment: when damage reaches the nerve, removing infected or damaged tissue so the tooth can be saved, usually followed by a crown
- Replacement: if a tooth can’t be saved, a dental implant or bridge can fill the gap
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. We’ll explain your options and costs before any treatment begins. See our NHS treatment page and fees page.
Why Do Teeth Chip and Crack?
- Biting on hard foods, ice, pen lids or fingernails
- Falls, knocks and sports injuries
- 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
How to Protect 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
Children’s teeth often chip and break at play. Always have a damaged baby tooth checked. See our children’s dentistry page.
Find Us in West Ealing
Puresmile Ealing Dental & Implants is at 22 Northfield Avenue, West Ealing W13 9RL, about a 10-minute walk from Northfields station on the Piccadilly line and about 15 minutes from West Ealing station on the Elizabeth Line. If you’re driving in a hurry, there are free Stop and Shop parking bays right outside for up to 30 minutes. We’re open Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm.
If you’ve damaged a tooth, call 020 8840 5651 as early as you can and tell us it’s urgent. We offer same-day appointments for urgent problems, subject to availability.
We welcome patients with damaged teeth from West Ealing, Northfields, Hanwell, Ealing, Brentford, Acton, Southall and across West London.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is a chipped tooth a dental emergency?
What should I do if I break a tooth in Ealing?
Rinse your mouth, keep any piece in milk, cover sharp edges, take suitable pain relief and call us on 020 8840 5651. If we’re closed, call NHS 111.
Do you offer emergency dental appointments in Ealing?
We offer same-day appointments for urgent problems, subject to availability. 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 I glue a broken tooth back on?
No. Household glue isn’t safe. Keep the piece in milk and bring it with you.
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 020 8840 5651 OR BOOK AN APPOINTMENT
Puresmile Ealing Dental & Implants, 22 Northfield Avenue, West Ealing W13 9RL
