Broken Tooth (Fractured Tooth)

What to do if you break a tooth

1. Rinse your mouth gently with warm water.
2. Save any pieces in milk or a clean container. A dentist can sometimes bond the fragment back on.
3. Stop bleeding by biting on clean gauze for 10 minutes.
4. Reduce swelling with a cold pack on the cheek for 15 to 20 minutes.
5. Ease pain with acetaminophen (paracetamol) or ibuprofen at the label dose. Do not put aspirin against the gum, which burns it.
6. Cover a sharp edge with dental wax or sugar-free gum.
7. Call your dentist the same day if there is pain, bleeding from the center of the tooth, or the tooth is loose.

If an adult tooth is knocked out

Hold it by the crown, not the root. If dirty, rinse it briefly in milk or saline. Push it back into the socket and bite on a cloth to hold it, then see a dentist immediately. If you cannot replant it, keep it in milk or in your cheek (not in a child, who may swallow it). Never replant a baby tooth.

Medical terms for a broken tooth

Dentists classify broken teeth by how deep the break goes:

Pain when chewing that comes and goes, especially on release, is called cracked tooth syndrome.

Causes and risk factors

• biting hard foods: ice, popcorn kernels, hard candy, bones, nuts
• falls, sports injuries, fights and car accidents. See dental trauma
• tooth grinding or clenching (bruxism), especially at night
• large old fillings that weaken the remaining tooth
• tooth decay undermining the enamel
• teeth that have had root canal treatment without a crown, which become brittle
• age, as teeth develop more cracks over decades

How a dentist diagnoses a broken tooth

The dentist looks at the tooth with magnification and a bright light, may ask you to bite on a special stick to find which cusp hurts, tests the tooth's response to cold, and takes X-rays. Cracks often do not show on X-rays, so dye, transillumination or a 3D scan may be used.

Treatment options

• Polishing and smoothing small chips.
• Composite bonding: tooth-colored resin rebuilds a chipped front tooth in one visit.
• Veneer: a thin porcelain shell for a visible front tooth.
• Crown: a cap that holds a cracked tooth together and protects it from further splitting.
• Root canal treatment: removes damaged or infected pulp before a crown is placed.
• Extraction and replacement: when the crack extends below the gum or splits the root, the tooth may be removed and replaced with an implant, bridge or denture.

Untreated broken teeth can become infected, leading to a dental abscess, and cracks tend to spread with chewing.

Prevention

• Wear a mouthguard for contact sports and a night guard if you grind your teeth.
• Avoid chewing ice, pens and hard candy.
• Ask about a crown for heavily filled or root-filled back teeth.
• Treat decay early with regular checkups.

Frequently asked questions

What is the medical term for a broken tooth?

A broken tooth is called a tooth fracture or dental fracture. Dentists describe it more specifically as an enamel fracture, a crown fracture (uncomplicated or complicated, depending on whether the pulp is exposed), a cracked tooth, a split tooth or a vertical root fracture.

Is a broken tooth an emergency?

A knocked-out adult tooth, heavy bleeding, facial swelling or a suspected jaw fracture are emergencies. A tooth with exposed pulp or severe pain should be seen within 24 hours. A small painless chip can wait for a routine appointment within a few days.

Can a broken tooth heal on its own?

No. Enamel and dentin do not grow back, and cracks can spread with chewing. Small chips may need nothing, but larger breaks need bonding, a crown or root canal treatment to prevent pain, infection and tooth loss.

How much of a tooth has to break before it needs a crown?

There is no fixed amount, but a crown is usually recommended when a large cusp breaks off, when a crack runs across the tooth, or when more than about half of the chewing surface has been lost or filled. Your dentist will decide based on how much sound tooth remains.

What should I do if my child chips a baby tooth?

Rinse the mouth, apply a cold compress, and call your dentist. Baby teeth that are knocked out are not replanted because this can damage the adult tooth underneath. A dentist will check for damage to the developing tooth and the gums.