Broken or chipped tooth: what to do until you see a dentist

A broken tooth looks scary, but most can be repaired. What you do in the next hour helps.

The answer in 2 lines. Call a dentist right away, even if the broken tooth doesn't hurt. Rinse your mouth with warm water. If you find the broken piece, keep it moist in a little milk or saliva and bring it with you. Don't bite on that tooth. If the whole adult tooth came out, call immediately: time matters. After a hard blow to the head with fainting, repeated vomiting or confusion, or if you can't close your teeth together, go to the ER or call 911.

The first 3 steps

Call the dental office: say the tooth is broken, how it happened (biting something hard, a fall, a hit) and what you feel. They'll decide how soon to see you. If the office is closed, the American Dental Association advises going to the emergency room.
Rinse and save the piece: rinse your mouth gently with warm water. If you find the fragment, put it in a small container with a little milk or saliva and bring it to the appointment.
Protect the tooth: don't chew on that side. For pain or swelling, hold a cold compress against the outside of your cheek. If it bleeds, press gently with clean gauze.

Stop: danger

Hard blow to the head with passing out, repeated vomiting, a worsening headache, drowsiness or confusion: call 911 or go to the ER right away. These are CDC danger signs for a brain injury.
You can't bring your upper and lower teeth together: your jaw may be broken, and MedlinePlus says you need medical help right away.
Bleeding that won't stop, or swelling with fever or trouble swallowing or breathing: go to the ER.

Even a small chip deserves a look

You can't judge how serious a break is from the size of the missing piece. A break can stay in the outer enamel or go deeper toward the nerve. According to MedlinePlus, a simple chip that doesn't hurt may not need an emergency visit, but it should still be fixed, because sharp edges can cut your lips or tongue. A badly broken tooth with the nerve exposed needs care right away to prevent infection.

What you notice	What to do
A small chip, no pain	Make a regular appointment soon. Save the piece.
A large piece is missing, sensitivity or pain, pink or red spot in the break	Call the dentist today for an urgent visit.
The tooth is loose or out of place	Say so when you call. Don't wiggle it.
The whole adult tooth came out	Call right away. See below.
Head injury with danger signs, or you can't close your teeth	ER or 911.

What not to do

Waiting for pain before you call: a tooth can be damaged without hurting at first.
Gluing the piece back with household glue, or filing a sharp edge yourself.
Testing the tooth by biting on it or pushing it with your fingers.
Putting aspirin on the gum: it can burn the tissue.
Letting a fragment or a knocked-out tooth dry out, or scrubbing it.

If the whole tooth came out

Adult (permanent) tooth: pick it up by the crown, the part you chew with, never by the root. Don't scrub it or clean it with alcohol or peroxide. If you can, gently put it back in its socket and bite on gauze. If not, keep it in cow's milk or saliva. Get to a dentist right away: the sooner, the better the chance of saving it.
Baby tooth: don't put it back in. MedlinePlus says baby teeth aren't replanted. Call the child's dentist anyway to check for other damage.

Until your appointment

Choose soft foods you can eat without using that tooth. Brush gently with a soft brush.
If you need a pain reliever, ask the pharmacist which one is right for you. Mention your other medicines, health conditions or a pregnancy, and follow the Drug Facts label. Never give a child an adult dose.
Call the office back if swelling appears or things get worse before your visit.

What the dentist will check

How deep the break goes, often with an X-ray, because the visible part doesn't show everything.
The nerve: if it's exposed or damaged, the tooth may need protection first, and some deep breaks need a root canal.
Nearby teeth and gums: one blow can injure several areas.
Follow-up: a tooth that took a hit can react weeks later. Keep the check-ups you're offered.

No dentist or no dental insurance? Federally funded health centers offer dental care on a sliding fee scale based on income. Go to HRSA — Get Health Care, use "Find a Health Center" with your ZIP code, and call to confirm the center has dental services.

Good to know

A broken tooth isn't necessarily lost: depending on the damage, it can be bonded, filled, or covered with a crown.
Bringing the piece doesn't guarantee it can be reattached, but it gives the dentist one more option.
Before you hang up, ask the office how to protect the tooth until the visit and which changes should make you call back.

Eating popcorn on a weeknight in Denver, Sam feels a crack and finds a piece of a back tooth in their hand. It barely hurts. Sam puts the piece in a cup with a little milk, rinses with warm water and calls the dentist's after-hours line. Sam chews on the other side until the next morning. The dentist takes an X-ray and explains which repair will work.

A made-up story, for illustration.

Bobby

Sources, verification, confidence

Verified on November 6, 2026, for the United States. Confidence: high for the need for prompt dental care, handling a knocked-out tooth and the emergency signs; medium for keeping a broken fragment in milk, an extension of the official advice for whole teeth. Treatment depends on what the dentist finds. This guide gives general information and doesn't replace a dental exam.