Call me back

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

265 Reviews

5.0

18th April 2025

Both my child visit khen and have done for a while, but this day my son had some issues which khen helped him we come home and my son was still in pain so i called back and they fitted him back in within an hour and he was sorted out with antibiotics, my son has autism and he loves going to the dentist which I’m quite lucky with as he will only see khen

17th April 2025

It was an emargency appointment as filling fell out in the morning and I was seen in the afternoon.

MB

Mark Brewster

Can't fault Jay, very understanding & explains everything. Recently had a tooth taken out & to my surprise have had no pain or discomfort. Also my hygienist Sarah is brilliant.

15th April 2025

Jay made the patient feel more at ease.Everything clearly explained

10th April 2025

Brice is a great dentist.

6th April 2025

Great Team, excellent service always. Friendly, helpful and understanding staff.

5th April 2025

The hygienist was friendly, she listened to my experience and gave me advice

5th April 2025

I have several health issues which were managed during the appointment.

4th April 2025

All staff always very polite and efficient

3rd April 2025

The dentist is always very kind. I have acid reflux and cannot have the chair very reclined. I have to swallow frequently. He always stops whenever I need to do this. He explains in detail what treatment he recommends and is always kind and considerate.

31st March 2025

A warm welcome from reception staff , cheerful waiting room . Positive approach from the Dentist with constructive advice and encouragement and not least conscientious assistance from Dental Nurse . I have been a patient here for some fifteen years and the practice scores highly in relation to previous experience elsewhere.

31st March 2025

I had a visit to the hygienist who was friendly and I explained that I had to reschedule my appointment because I had a severe attack of neuralgia which meant that I could not attend the original appointment. She was very understanding and advised me of various aids and procedures I could use to help with the hygiene of my teeth and gums

29th March 2025

Khem Joshis is my Dentist, after a bad experience previously with another dentist, Khem has made me less fearful of going. There's no judgement and he makes my visit calm and reassuring.

28th March 2025

The efficient of the reception team, booking the appointment, I think her name was Gemma. The dentist and his nurse was both lovely and kind.

25th March 2025

Very friendly practice. It was the first time I’d seen Mo - he was great.

25th March 2025

After a long period of unsettlement regarding the treatment I had previously received, Mo has given me confidence from the offset to hopefully resolve my tooth pain.

24th March 2025

I'VE BEEN A PATIENT OVER MANY YEARS, NO PROBLEMS, OVER THOSE MANY YEARS, A GREAT SERVICE ALL ROUND

24th March 2025

After having great difficulty finding a dentist after moving to kingslynn and unable to find an NHS dentist I signed up for a treatment plan,I had several problems with my teeth which were quickly sorted out,yes expensive but worth it.

22nd March 2025

Friendly staff .

22nd March 2025

Staff are attentive and listen. Everything runs smoothly. You get a reminder call before your appointment

Prev Previous
Next Next