Chipped or broken tooth: what to do until you see a dentist

A broken tooth looks alarming, but it is usually not serious and a dentist can usually treat it.

The answer in 2 lines. Call a dentist, even if it does not hurt. If the surgery is closed, the answerphone may tell you what to do. If you do not have a dentist or cannot get an urgent appointment, call 111. If you find the broken piece, keep it in milk or saliva and take it with you. Do not bite on the tooth. A knocked-out adult tooth is an emergency in its own right: see below. If there has been a hard blow to the head, someone has been knocked out, or anyone has trouble breathing, call 999.

The first 3 steps

Ring your dentist: say the tooth is broken, how it happened (eating, a fall, a blow) and what you feel. No dentist? Use the NHS Find a dentist service to ask for an urgent appointment, or call 111.
Save the piece if you find it: put it in a small clean container of milk, or of saliva (spit into the container yourself, or ask your child to spit into it for their own tooth). Take it to the appointment.
Protect the tooth: do not bite on it, and avoid very hot, very cold or sweet food and drinks if they make it hurt.

Stop: danger

A hard blow to the head or face with loss of consciousness, vomiting, confusion or heavy bleeding that will not stop: call 999.
Swelling in the mouth or neck that makes it hard to breathe, swallow or speak: go to A&E or call 999. Do not drive yourself.

Even a small chip deserves a check

You cannot judge how serious a break is from the size of the missing piece. A break can affect only the outer enamel, or it can reach the nerve inside the tooth. After a knock, the gum and the teeth next to it can also be hurt. A dentist will look at all of this, even if the pain is mild.

What you notice	What to do
A piece is missing	Call a dentist and keep the piece in milk or saliva.
The tooth is loose or looks out of place	Say so when you call. Do not wiggle it.
The tooth looks fine after a knock	Book a check anyway.
A whole adult tooth has come out	Emergency: follow the knocked-out tooth steps below and see a dentist as soon as possible.

What not to do

Waiting for pain before you call: a tooth can be damaged without hurting straight away.
Trying to glue the piece back with household glue, or filing the sharp edge yourself.
Testing the tooth by biting on it or moving it with your fingers.
Going to your GP: GPs cannot give dental treatment.

While you wait: protect and soothe

Eat soft food and chew on the other side.
Brush gently with a soft toothbrush and keep away from the broken edge.
For pain, ask a pharmacist which painkiller suits you. Tell them about other medicines, health conditions and pregnancy, and follow the leaflet. Children under 16 should not take aspirin, and a child should never be given an adult dose.
Call the dentist or 111 again if swelling appears or things get worse before your appointment.

What the dentist can do

Stick the piece back on, if you kept it and it is in good condition.
A filling or a crown, a cap that covers the whole broken tooth.
Root canal treatment if the tooth is badly broken and the nerve is exposed.
On the NHS in England, urgent treatment costs £27.90 (charges from 1 April 2026). Fillings and root canal work are Band 2 (£76.60) and crowns are Band 3 (£332.10), unless you get free treatment. Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland have different charges.

Good to know

Knocked-out adult tooth: hold it by the white part, not the root. If it is dirty, rinse it briefly in milk, saline or saliva. Try to push it back into the socket and bite gently on a clean cloth. If you cannot, keep it in milk or saliva and see a dentist as soon as possible.
Never put a baby tooth back in: it could damage the adult tooth growing underneath. Still see a dentist.
Even after a repair, go back for the check-ups you are offered: a tooth can react weeks after a knock.

At a Sunday lunch in Bristol, Priya feels a crack and a piece of her back tooth comes away. It barely hurts. She puts the piece in a cup of milk and rings her dentist, whose answerphone says to call 111. She is given an urgent appointment for the next morning and chews on the other side until then. The dentist can't stick the piece back, so they put in a filling instead.

A made-up story, for illustration.

Bobby

Sources, verification, confidence

Verified on 6 November 2026, for England. Confidence: high for keeping the piece in milk or saliva, getting urgent care through your dentist or 111, and the steps for a knocked-out tooth (NHS); high for NHS dental charges from 1 April 2026 (NHS Business Services Authority). Which treatment you need depends on what the dentist finds. This guide gives general information and does not replace a dental examination.