Cracked or chipped tooth: what to do

A cracked molar or a chipped front tooth is alarming when it happens, often while eating. Most cases are not emergencies, but a few need urgent help. This guide sets out what NHS and Northern Ireland health sources say to do first, how dentists repair damaged teeth and which symptoms mean you should not wait.

What a chip or crack can look and feel like

The NHS website for England groups the problem under three words: chipped, cracked or broken. A chip or a broken piece is the visible kind, while a crack can be harder to see.

The NHS lists cracked teeth among the causes of toothache, alongside decay, abscesses, loose fillings, gum disease and sensitive teeth. A cracked molar and a sensitive tooth can therefore feel alike, and only an examination tells them apart.

The NHS also describes a badly broken tooth in which the nerves are exposed. Treatment is different in that case, as covered below. The official pages opened for this guide do not classify crack types, so ask your dentist to explain what they find in your tooth.

What to do straight away

The NHS website for England gives these steps:

• See a dentist if you or your child has chipped, cracked or broken a tooth.
• Do not go to a GP, because a GP cannot give dental treatment.
• If a piece of tooth has broken off, put it in milk or saliva, by spitting into a container, and take it to a dentist.
• If you need urgent dental treatment, call a dentist, because their answerphone may say what to do if they are closed.

For pain while you wait, the NHS toothache page lists soft foods, a soft toothbrush and avoiding very hot, cold or sweet food, and it names painkillers you can take. Read the packet or ask a pharmacist, because this guide gives no dosing advice.

In Northern Ireland, nidirect says registered patients should contact their dentist for urgent appointments. Unregistered patients can use the Dental Access Scheme on weekdays, or the Emergency Dental Clinics at weekends and bank holidays. The NHS website for England says to call 111 if you do not have a dentist, but that is the England route, so use the Northern Ireland routes here.

When you phone, say which tooth is affected, whether a piece has come off, whether you have pain, swelling or bleeding, and whether the damage came from a knock or a fall. Trauma to the teeth is one of the emergencies named by HSC Northern Ireland, so say so clearly. The NHS advice applies to children as well as adults, and a child’s broken tooth should also be seen by a dentist.

Until you are seen, the NHS toothache page says not to smoke and to avoid very hot, cold or sweet food. Keep the broken piece in milk or saliva as described above. The NHS lists gluing a fragment back on among the treatments a dentist may use, so leave that decision to the dentist.

How a dentist repairs a cracked or chipped tooth

The NHS website for England says treatment may include:

• Gluing the fragment of tooth back on.
• A filling.
• A crown, which is a cap that completely covers the broken tooth.
• Root canal treatment for a badly broken tooth where the nerves are exposed.

The NHS describes a filling as the repair for a hole in a tooth, usually in white filling material or amalgam, with the dentist choosing the most appropriate type. It describes a crown as a cap that completely covers a real tooth, and says the natural tooth must be shaped first and a temporary crown is usually fitted while the lab prepares the permanent one.

It describes root canal treatment as tackling infection at the centre of the tooth, and says it usually needs a few visits. These repairs sit within crowns and bridges and root canal treatment, and a dentist decides which one fits the damage.

The NHS says chipping, breaking or cracking a tooth is usually not serious and a dentist should be able to treat it. This guide cannot say which treatment you need.

When it is urgent

The NHS toothache page says to go to A&E if swelling around the eyes or neck, or swelling in the mouth or neck, is making it difficult to breathe, swallow or speak. It says to call 999 for an ambulance and not to drive yourself.

The same page says to see a dentist if toothache lasts more than 2 days, if painkillers do not help, or if there is a high temperature, pain when biting, red gums, a bad taste or swelling in the cheek or jaw.

HSC Northern Ireland says its out-of-hours emergency dental service is for genuine emergencies, including spreading infection, trauma to teeth, uncontrolled bleeding and severe pain that does not respond to over-the-counter medication. It says to ring first, because appointments are required and you should not attend without one, and that routine or non-urgent care is not provided. It also says that normal General Dental Service charges will be payable at the clinics.

At weekends and bank holidays, HSC Northern Ireland says unregistered patients should contact the Emergency Dental Clinics directly on 028 2566 3510, and that telephone lines are open from 8am to 12 noon, as stated on its page checked 6 October 2026. Check that page for any change before you ring.

Next step

If a tooth has cracked or chipped, phone a dental practice today and describe the symptoms. To find a practice that lists same-day or urgent appointments in Belfast, start from the emergency dentist hub, and confirm availability by phone. The toothache and abscess guide covers pain that has built up over days.