Broken Tooth: Chipped, Cracked or Knocked Out – What to Do
This page is general information and does not replace an examination.
A broken tooth, whether chipped, cracked or broken, is usually not serious, but a dentist should see it[1]. If a piece has broken off, keep it in milk or saliva and bring it with you: it can sometimes be glued back on[1]. A knocked-out adult tooth is different: it needs treatment as soon as possible, within 30 minutes to 1 hour if you can[3]. Hold it by the crown, try to put it back in the socket, or keep it in milk or in your mouth[2][3]. Depending on the damage, treatment ranges from smoothing the edge or a filling to a crown or root canal treatment[1][3].
- 1. Chipped, cracked or broken: what is the difference?
- 2. What to do in the first hour
- 3. Knocked-out tooth: what to do
- 4. Cracked tooth symptoms
- 5. When to see a dentist
- 6. How a broken tooth is treated
- 7. Lowering the risk of another break
- 8. What we treat and what we refer
- 9. Frequently asked questions
- 10. Sources
Chipped, cracked or broken: what is the difference?
“Broken tooth” covers several different injuries. A chip is a small piece of enamel lost from an edge. A crack is a line running into the tooth that may not be visible from outside. A broken tooth has lost a larger part of its crown, sometimes with the nerve exposed. Dental injuries are common: a meta-analysis of 102 studies with almost 269,000 people found that 15.2% had injured at least one permanent tooth[7]. Cracks are also found more and more often in teeth that have never been filled, and they become more common with age, especially after 40[6].
The European Society of Endodontology uses precise names for cracks that run along the length of a tooth[6]. Knowing which one you have matters, because the treatment and the chance of keeping the tooth differ.
| Type | What it is | Typical signs |
|---|---|---|
| Craze line | A surface line confined to the enamel; the tooth stays intact[6] | Usually no symptoms[6] |
| Chipped tooth | A small piece of enamel lost from an edge | A sharp or rough edge; sometimes sensitivity |
| Fractured cusp | One cusp of a back tooth cracks or breaks off[6] | Short, sharp pain on chewing; pain may ease once the cusp breaks off[6] |
| Cracked tooth | A crack running from the biting surface into the tooth, of unknown depth[6] | Pain to cold, sharp pain on biting that stops on release[6] |
| Split tooth | The tooth has separated completely into two parts[6] | The pieces are apart or separate under pressure; pain on biting or a loose feeling[6] |
| Vertical root fracture | A crack in the root, more common in teeth that have had root canal treatment[6] | Often subtle at first; a narrow deep gum pocket, a gum boil or bone loss on the X-ray[6] |
What to do in the first hour
If you have chipped or broken a tooth and none of the emergency signs in the red box at the top of this page apply:
Find and keep any broken piece
Put it in milk or in saliva (spit into a clean container) and take it to the dentist. The piece can sometimes be glued back on[1].Rinse gently and look
Rinse your mouth and check whether the tooth is chipped, broken, loose, pushed out of place or missing. A missing or knocked-out tooth needs the steps in the next section straight away.Protect the tooth
Eat soft foods and avoid chewing on that side. Avoid foods that are sweet, very hot or very cold[8].Pain relief if needed
Over-the-counter pain relief such as paracetamol or ibuprofen can help; a pharmacist can advise you[8]. Take it as directed on the package, unless your doctor or pharmacist has told you otherwise. Do not place aspirin or any tablet on the gum.Book a dentist
Do not go to a GP for a broken tooth: a GP cannot give dental treatment[1].
Knocked-out tooth: what to do
A knocked-out (avulsed) permanent tooth is one of the most serious dental injuries, and correct first aid makes the biggest difference to the outcome[4]. The NHS advises treatment as soon as possible, within 30 minutes to 1 hour if you can[3]:
- Hold the tooth by the crown, the white part that shows in the mouth. Do not touch the root[2].
- If it is dirty, rinse it gently in milk, saline or saliva[2].
- Try to put it back into the socket. If it goes in easily, bite gently on a clean cloth to hold it in place[2].
- If you cannot put it back, keep it in milk, or in your mouth between your cheek and gums[2][3].
- See a dentist as soon as possible, even if you cannot find the tooth[2].
Baby teeth: never put a knocked-out baby tooth back in. It can damage the adult tooth growing underneath[2].
At the dentist, the tooth is checked, cleaned and put back in its socket if that has not already been done, usually with an X-ray to check the root. It is then fixed to the teeth on either side with a splint. A further visit after a couple of weeks is usual, for example for root canal treatment and to remove the splint[2]. These steps follow the International Association of Dental Traumatology guidelines, which also cover teeth that are loosened or pushed out of place by an injury[4][5]. The IADT stresses that following the guidelines improves the chances but cannot guarantee that a replanted tooth survives[4].
If the tooth cannot be found or saved, a temporary denture can replace it while the socket heals, and later a bridge or a dental implant are options[2].
Cracked tooth symptoms
A cracked tooth can be hard to find because the pain is often poorly localised. In a practice-based study of 2,858 cracked teeth reported by 209 dentists in the USA, 45% caused symptoms; the most common were pain to cold (37%), pain on biting (16%) and spontaneous pain (11%), as summarised by the European Society of Endodontology[6]. A typical sign is a sudden sharp pain when biting hard food or clenching, which stops when the pressure is released[6].
To find the crack, the dentist uses a bite test that tries to reproduce the pain, a strong light shone through the tooth, and sometimes removes an old filling to see how far the crack runs[6]. X-rays help to check the bone and the root, but a crack itself is often not visible on them. Even a 3D CBCT scan does not reliably show cracks, although it may show bone loss next to one[6]. More on what each type of X-ray can show is in our guide to dental X-rays and CBCT.
Cracks can progress. Left untreated, a cracked tooth may develop an inflamed or dead nerve, or split, and teeth with large fillings, last-standing teeth and people who grind their teeth are at higher risk[6]. Cracked teeth can also be the cause of sensitive teeth.
When to see a dentist
Emergency: facial swelling that spreads to the eye or neck, difficulty breathing or swallowing, high fever, or bleeding that will not stop: call 112 in Türkiye (see the box at the top of this page).
As soon as possible: a knocked-out adult tooth, even if you cannot find it[2], and a badly broken tooth[3].
Soon: toothache that lasts more than 2 days, does not settle with painkillers, or comes with pain when biting, red gums or a bad taste[8].
Normal appointment: a small chip with no pain. A chipped tooth needs a non-emergency appointment to have it smoothed and filled or a crown fitted[3].
How a broken tooth is treated
The treatment depends on how much of the tooth is lost, whether the nerve is involved and whether the crack reaches the root[1][6]:
| Damage | Usual options |
|---|---|
| Small chip on an edge | Smoothing and polishing, or a small tooth-coloured filling[3] |
| Broken piece kept in milk or saliva | Gluing the fragment back on, if it fits[1] |
| Larger part of the crown lost | A filling, or a crown that covers the whole tooth[1][9] |
| Badly broken, nerve exposed | Root canal treatment, then usually a crown[1] |
| Cracked back tooth | Depending on the crack: monitoring, a bonded filling, or a restoration covering the cusps, such as an onlay or crown[6] |
| Split tooth or vertical root fracture | Usually extraction; the gap can then be closed with an implant, bridge or denture[2][6] |
Filling or crown for a crack? There is no clear evidence on which type of restoration works better for a cracked tooth. Cracked teeth repaired with a direct bonded filling may be more likely to need root canal treatment or further repair later than teeth given a restoration that covers the cusps[6]. Reported rates of root canal treatment after a cracked tooth is restored range from 7.7% to 20%[6].
When the nerve is affected. For cracked teeth that needed root canal treatment, survival of 84% to 88% over 1 to 5 years has been reported. Deep gum pockets next to the crack, several cracks, a crack reaching the root and a post placed inside the root are linked with a worse outlook[6].
Fillings, crowns and onlays are compared in our guides to dental fillings, inlay, onlay or crown and zirconia crowns. Root canal treatment is explained on root canal treatment. A tooth that cannot be saved can be replaced as described in dental implants and dental bridges.
Lowering the risk of another break
Teeth that are extensively filled, last-standing teeth and teeth in people with grinding or clenching habits are more likely to crack further[6]. For patients with a cracked tooth, the European Society of Endodontology advises guidance on managing grinding and clenching habits[6]. How we make night guards and what grinding does to teeth is covered in teeth grinding (bruxism). Regular check-ups let the dentist spot cracks, worn edges and failing old fillings before they break.
What we treat and what we refer
Dr. Ali Cem Ulubey and Dr. Surur Ulubey examine and treat patients themselves; there are no rotating dentists. Dr. Surur Ulubey treats children. Walk-in patients are seen Monday to Saturday, 09:00–19:00; on Sundays the clinic is closed and WhatsApp is for urgent cases.
| Situation | What we do |
|---|---|
| Chipped edge | Polishing, or a small composite on the broken part, as the case requires |
| Broken filling or tooth, nerve not affected | Composite filling €60; front-tooth aesthetic composite €120; filling with MTA pulp protection €90 |
| Large break or cracked back tooth | E.max inlay or onlay €250, usually ready in 2–3 days; zirconia crown (Amann Girrbach) €185 or E.max crown €250 per tooth |
| Nerve exposed or inflamed | Root canal treatment: 1 root €120, 2 roots €150, 3 roots €180 |
| Tooth needs a crown | A temporary tooth the same day, within 2–3 hours; a single crown is usually finished in 1–2 days |
| Tooth cannot be saved | Extraction from €50; replacement options in writing, for example an implant from €300 plus the crown |
| Knocked-out tooth | Come in straight away during clinic hours, with the tooth in milk or saliva |
| Face or jaw injury beyond the teeth | Hospital emergency department (call 112 in Türkiye) |
The consultation and the panoramic X-ray taken at the examination have no separate fee; periapical X-rays are taken in the clinic when a single tooth needs a closer look. Prices are indicative; your final written quote follows the examination and X-rays and is valid for 30 days. Unless the treatment plan changes, the written price does not change.
All fees are on our dental treatment prices page. If a crown or veneer we made has broken, the conditions are set out in our written dental guarantee. Holiday visitors can read dentist in Antalya on holiday.
Frequently asked questions
Is a broken tooth an emergency?
Usually not. A chipped, cracked or broken tooth needs a dental appointment but is rarely serious. A knocked-out adult tooth is the exception: it needs treatment as soon as possible, ideally within 30 minutes to 1 hour. Facial swelling spreading to the eye or neck, difficulty breathing or swallowing, high fever or bleeding that will not stop are medical emergencies.
What should I do with a knocked-out tooth?
Hold it by the crown, not the root. If it is dirty, rinse it gently in milk, saline or saliva and try to put it back in the socket, then bite on a clean cloth. If it will not go in, keep it in milk or inside your cheek and see a dentist straight away. Never put a baby tooth back in.
Why does my cracked tooth hurt only when I bite?
Biting can open a crack slightly and the pressure reaches the inside of the tooth, which gives a sudden sharp pain that often stops when you release. Cracks can also make a tooth sensitive to cold. The dentist uses a bite test, a strong light and sometimes removes an old filling to find the crack.
Can a chipped tooth be fixed in one visit?
A small chip can often be smoothed and polished, or repaired with a tooth-coloured filling in a single visit. A tooth that needs a crown takes longer: at our clinic a temporary tooth is made the same day and a single crown is usually finished in 1–2 days. The examination decides which option fits.
Does a broken tooth always need a root canal?
No. Root canal treatment is needed when a tooth is badly broken and the nerve is exposed, or when the nerve becomes inflamed or dies later. Many chips and breaks are repaired with a filling, an onlay or a crown alone. A cracked tooth is checked again over time, because the nerve can be affected later.
Can a cracked tooth heal by itself?
No. A crack does not close on its own. Shallow cracks with no symptoms may only be monitored, but cracks can grow, and a cracked tooth may need a filling, an onlay or a crown to protect it. A split tooth or a crack in the root usually means the tooth has to be removed.
Sources
- NHS. Chipped, broken or cracked tooth (page last reviewed 9 January 2025; accessed 26 October 2026). www.nhs.uk/conditions/chipped-broken-or-cracked-tooth
- NHS. Knocked-out tooth (page last reviewed 6 February 2025; accessed 26 October 2026). www.nhs.uk/conditions/knocked-out-tooth
- NHS. Dental treatments: broken or knocked-out tooth (page last reviewed 8 July 2026; accessed 26 October 2026). www.nhs.uk/live-well/healthy-teeth-and-gums/dental-treatments
- Fouad AF, Abbott PV, Tsilingaridis G, et al. International Association of Dental Traumatology guidelines for the management of traumatic dental injuries: 2. Avulsion of permanent teeth. Dent Traumatol. 2020;36(4):331-342. PMID 32460393. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32460393
- Bourguignon C, Cohenca N, Lauridsen E, et al. International Association of Dental Traumatology guidelines for the management of traumatic dental injuries: 1. Fractures and luxations. Dent Traumatol. 2020;36(4):314-330. PMID 32475015. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32475015
- Patel S, Teng PH, Liao WC, Davis MC, et al. (European Society of Endodontology). Position statement on longitudinal cracks and fractures of teeth. Int Endod J. 2025;58(3):379-390. PMID 39840523. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39840523
- Petti S, Glendor U, Andersson L. World traumatic dental injury prevalence and incidence, a meta-analysis: one billion living people have had traumatic dental injuries. Dent Traumatol. 2018;34(2):71-86. PMID 29455471. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29455471
- NHS. Toothache (accessed 26 October 2026). www.nhs.uk/symptoms/toothache
- American Dental Association, MouthHealthy. Crowns (accessed 26 October 2026). www.mouthhealthy.org/all-topics-a-z/crowns
This article is general patient information and does not replace a clinical examination or X-rays.
Editor contact: [email protected] · ulubeydental.com/contact-us
