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Broken teeth

Our teeth are very strong but despite this, the stresses and strains of our everyday life can still cause them to chip, crack or break.

Common cause of these breaks can include:

  • Chewing on hard foods
  • Facial trauma following an accident
  • Damage from a sports injury
  • Untreated cavities causing the tooth to become brittle and break
  • Old, large amalgam fillings, where the remaining structure of the natural tooth can become brittle

Broken teeth can cause varying degrees of pain, from extremely painful, to discomfort triggered by hot or cold foods or drink, even to no signs of immediate pain. However, in order to prevent further damage or infection which could result in the loss of the tooth, it’s important to book an appointment with your Lynn Road Dental Practice dentist as soon as possible.

Treatment of a broken or chipped tooth will depend on how severely it is damaged. For small breaks or chips it may be possible to repair in a single visit with a simple filling or bonding. For more severe breaks, multiple visits may be required to repair the break with multiple treatments.

Treatment for fractures and broken teeth

Teeth with minor chips on the edges usually don’t cause any pain or problems, but your Lynn Road Dental Practice dentist will most likely repair a chip by smoothing the edge and inserting a tooth-coloured filling to prevent it from cutting your lips or tongue.

Heavily fractured and seriously broken teeth may need more complex treatment. For instance, a large cavity that causes a major fracture or break, causing pain and infection, may need root canal treatment. Cracks and breaks may expose your nerve endings, making the teeth sensitive to hot and cold air and foods.

Root canal treatment isn’t always necessary if your teeth are chipped or broken, though. Where there’s no pain or infection, cracks are filled and bound together with a specialised tooth cement, while a broken tooth will be fixed with a crown. Crowns are also used as part of the treatment for other types of splits and breaks, such as broken cusps, split roots/vertical breaks, split molars, and as a buttress against further cracks. If your tooth has decayed from the inside-out and is now broken, your Lynn Road Dental Practice dentist may recommend that your tooth is removed.

Sometimes, if you have a cracked or broken tooth, it may not be noticeable because it doesn’t hurt. But no matter how minor these problems are, they should still be investigated by your dentist, as infections can arise if the problem isn’t treated with antibiotics. The best course of action is, as always, a good oral hygiene regime and regular reviews with the dentist.

What to do if you break your tooth

If you’ve fractured or broken a tooth, follow these steps immediately before booking an appointment with Lynn Road Dental Practice.

  • Rinse your mouth out with warm water
  • Apply pressure on any bleeding areas using gauze or a wet teabag
  • Apply an icepack to your cheek if there’s any swelling
  • If you have access to it, cover any major cracks with temporary dental cement
  • If it’s painful, use an over the counter pain reliever such as paracetamol
  • Cover any broken teeth with milk, saliva or saline solution

As with any teeth problems, if you have fractured or chipped a tooth it's important to book an appointment at Lynn Road Dental Practice to see a dentist as soon as possible, rather than waiting for routine dental health review. We will discuss the best method of repairing the break with you.

At Lynn Road Dental Practice in Kings Lynn we use resin composite fillings to match the colour of your teeth and ensure a long-lasting and natural-looking result. We also offer porcelain crowns, inlays and onlays as successful options for repairing cracked, broken, decayed or heavily filled teeth. They are hardwearing and can be colour-matched perfectly to your own teeth.

If you would like to discuss concerns with any broken or chipped teeth give us a call on 01553 767543.

Patient Reviews

People are talking about us

The biggest complement we receive is when our patients refer their friends and family to Lynn Road Dental Practice. In fact, we have built much of our practice on these valued, trusted recommendations over the years. Read our reviews to hear why our patients are recommending us…

Patient reviews

208 Reviews

5.0
EB

Emma Ball

My dentist Khem and his nurse Lisa have been nothing but brilliant and always put my best interests first and always clearly explained my treatment plan . Couldn’t be more grateful

JF

Jim Fowl

Friendly professional team, both reception & dentist. Full explanation of procedures & costs! Great dental service!

14th January 2025

Efficient and friendly staff and in a very convenient location.

13th January 2025

The people are friendly, I can get an appointment when I want.

12th January 2025

Always great care. This occasion it was an urgent appointment as I had broken a tooth. I phoned in the morning and was offered an appointment the same day. The treatment was then completed in the same appointment.

11th January 2025

Ease of getting appointment, competency of the dentist and friendliness of all involved

10th January 2025

Friendly staff and always get excellent work carried out.

9th January 2025

The overall patient experience from checking in with the receptionist,who was both friendly and efficient,to my treatment with the dentist,ably assisted by the dental nurse. No problems or issues were encountered and it was a hassle free appointment. The waiting area,which must see a high volume of footfall during the day,was very clean,tidy and gave an impression of a caring and professional evironment.In the past,at other dental practices where I have been a patient,the waiting area has resembled a jumble sale but not in this practice.Long may it continue!

24th December 2024

Friendly, proficient service.

22nd December 2024

I have in the past found hygiene appointments to be unpleasant but this hygienist is gentle and reassuring.

21st December 2024

Modern equipment, professional and personal employees, team culture and orientated to high levels of customer service evident.

20th December 2024

The staff are professional and welcoming. They clearly explained treatment options and plan.

20th December 2024

Everyone is professional and polite.

19th December 2024

The dentist made my daughter feel at ease. It was her first injection and a tooth extraction and she felt at ease and safe. It was all done very quickly and efficiently

18th December 2024

Dentist was very attentive and could tell I was nervous.Has a tooth the size of a lions pulled out and he made sure it was on “my terms” and if I wanted to stop for any reason to let him know.

AS

Amanda Snowdon

Absolutely lovely and friendly

15th December 2024

There were no negative issues. I booked in, didn’t have time to sit in the waiting room before being call in for treatment. Treatment explained clearly, and completed. My next appointment was confirmed, and having thanked the staff, I left.

6th December 2024

Never had any sort of problem with the practice. Polite and friendly staff. The only downside it is becoming expensive for treatment.

4th December 2024

I love my dentist because he knows I'm a nervous patient and he's so kind

3rd December 2024

The whole team is great from the moment of initial contact to signing off treatment. I am on a dental plan so the routine preventative treatments are covered. I always feel reassured and as a nervous patient, more relaxed

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