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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 High Street 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 High Street 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 High Street 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 High Street 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 High Street 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 High Street Dental Practice in West Sussex 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 01342 458034.

Patient Reviews

People are talking about us

The biggest complement we receive is when our patients refer their friends and family to High Street 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

983 Reviews

5.0

20th November 2024

A friendly, thorough and professional approach.

17th November 2024

Very professional welcoming practice

14th November 2024

All the staff are incredibly friendly and professional

14th November 2024

Great knowledge and expertise. Very friendly

14th November 2024

I trust Jas and his staff - I am been coming to this practice for many years and alway been pleased with the treatment

14th November 2024

I have been a patient at this Dentist for many years and have always found the team to be friendly and helpful. My dentist thoroughly explains all the treatment I receive and treats me with respect. This makes me feel comfortable and confident that my needs are being put first. I have had bad experiences in the past, however since being a patient at High Street I have managed to overcome those anxieties.I would like to say a big thankyou and keep up the good work.

13th November 2024

Dental Surgery is always very helpful. Whatever my appointment is for. Staff excellent.

9th November 2024

Can get appointment when required. Very good standard of care

9th November 2024

check up revealed nerve damage to a tooth - dentist spent a long time testing, doing xray and explaining possible treatments etc

8th November 2024

Attention to detail, pleasant staff, quick appointment.

8th November 2024

Always satisfied after over a decade coming tothis dental practice.

6th November 2024

I feel confident in the treatment that I receive. All the staff are friendly and helpful.Open times are good and the practice has good opening hours over the Christmas period.

2nd November 2024

The staff are extra ordinary in expertise and care

31st October 2024

Friendly, polite, caring, gentle.

31st October 2024

My wife & I have been going to this practice for 50 years & have had excellent service from all the various dental practitioners there over that period.

30th October 2024

Very friendly staff, been visiting for years.

29th October 2024

clear competent treatment

28th October 2024

Fantastic staff, all very professional and knowledgable with a focus on patient needs.

27th October 2024

Everything

26th October 2024

Lovely people working there. All from reception to hygienists to dentists. Great care.

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