Cracked, Broken or Chipped Tooth? What to Do Now
If a tooth is cracked, broken or chipped, call (310) 926-6825. Our phone is answered 24/7, including nights, weekends and holidays. Keep any piece that broke off and avoid chewing on that side. We’ll tell you what to do right now and get you scheduled. How soon you’re seen depends on how severe it is.
What to do right now
- Rinse your mouth gently with warm water.
- Keep any piece of tooth that broke off. Put it in milk, or spit into a small container and keep it in your own saliva, and bring it with you.
- Hold a cold compress on the outside of your cheek near the tooth to ease pain and keep swelling down.
- If the gum is bleeding, press gauze on it for about 10 minutes or until it stops. Cover a sharp edge with orthodontic wax from a pharmacy.
- Avoid chewing on that side. Chewing can move the pieces of a cracked tooth and irritate the nerve inside.
- If breathing through your mouth or a cold drink hurts, bite on clean, moist gauze or cloth until you reach us.
- For pain, take an over-the-counter pain reliever by mouth, following the label. Don’t put aspirin on the tooth or gum, because it can burn the tissue, and don’t rub a numbing gel on it.
A cracked tooth that throbs on its own is handled like any severe toothache until you’re seen. If only a crown or filling came out and the tooth underneath looks whole, the steps for a lost crown or filling apply instead.
Is a cracked or chipped tooth an emergency?
Any cracked tooth should be seen by a dentist as soon as you can. Call today if:
- The tooth hurts when you bite, or when you let go of a bite
- Hot or cold makes it hurt
- The pain comes and goes, or the tooth starts to hurt on its own
- The gum around the tooth is swollen
- A large piece broke off, or the tooth feels loose or pushed out of place
- The pain doesn’t get better with an over-the-counter pain reliever
A small chip or crack that doesn’t hurt can usually wait for a regular appointment, but it still needs a dentist, because a chip can get worse. If you can’t tell which kind you have, call and describe it.
When to go to the ER instead
Go to a hospital emergency room, or call 911, if you have trouble breathing or swallowing, or a fever with swelling in your face and you can’t reach a dentist. Those can mean an infection is spreading.
Also go if bleeding hasn’t stopped after 15 minutes of steady pressure, or if you think your jaw may be broken. If the tooth broke in a blow to the head, go straight to the ER for danger signs such as repeated vomiting, growing confusion, slurred speech, a seizure, or a headache that keeps getting worse.
An ER can give you pain medication and antibiotics, but it doesn’t do fillings or crowns, so call us once you’re stable.
What kind of crack is it?
The American Association of Endodontists describes five types of crack, and treatment depends on the type, where it is and how far it goes:
- Craze lines are tiny cracks in the outer enamel. They cause no pain and only matter for looks.
- A fractured cusp is a piece of the chewing surface breaking off, often around a filling. It rarely damages the nerve, and a new filling or crown can protect the tooth.
- A cracked tooth has a crack running from the chewing surface down toward the root. The crack can spread over time. If it reaches the nerve, a root canal and a crown can protect the tooth. If it runs below the gum line, the AAE says the tooth can’t be saved.
- A split tooth has a crack with segments that can be separated. It can’t be saved whole, though part of it sometimes can.
- A vertical root fracture starts in the root and is often discovered when the bone and gum around it become infected.
Telling these apart takes a dental exam.
Why a cracked tooth shouldn't wait
Unlike a broken bone, a crack in a tooth does not heal. An untreated crack can keep getting worse, and bacteria can get through it to the nerve and cause an abscess that can spread to the jawbone and face. Cracked teeth don’t always cause symptoms, so a tooth that has stopped hurting still needs to be checked.
Cracks often follow biting ice, hard candy or popcorn kernels, grinding your teeth, or a blow to the mouth. A tooth with a large filling or a root canal is more likely to crack, especially if it never got a crown.
What the dentist will do
An exam for a cracked tooth often includes a bite test, a close look at the tooth and gum, and dental X-rays. Our dentist explains the options before starting anything. The AAE says most chipped teeth can be repaired by reattaching the broken piece or by bonding a tooth-colored filling or crown in place. Other options include:
- Smoothing and polishing a rough edge
- Bonding, which fills the crack or chip with tooth-colored material
- A filling, or a crown, a cap that covers the whole tooth
- A root canal when the crack reaches the nerve or the nerve is exposed
- Removing the tooth, when the crack has done too much damage to the root to save it
A crown often takes more than one appointment. Once treated, most cracked teeth keep working for years, but a crack can still spread, and a crown gives the most protection without guaranteeing the tooth. If you grind your teeth at night, ask about a mouthguard.
How much does a cracked or broken tooth cost to fix?
The cost depends on which tooth it is and whether it needs bonding, a crown or a root canal. You’ll know the plan before treatment starts.
- Insurance: we accept PPO plans, including Aetna, Assurant, Cigna, Delta Dental, Guardian Direct, Humana and MetLife.
- Payment: cash, check, credit and debit cards, plus financing through Cherry, CareCredit and LendingClub.
- No insurance: ask about our in-office dental plan.
Cracked and broken tooth questions
Is a cracked tooth a dental emergency?
A cracked tooth can be an emergency. Pain when you bite, sensitivity to hot or cold, swelling, or a large broken piece all mean you should call today. Call (310) 926-6825, describe it, and we'll help you decide how soon to come in.
Should I go to the ER for a broken tooth?
Usually not, because an ER doesn't do fillings or crowns. Go to the ER for trouble breathing or swallowing, a fever with facial swelling, bleeding that won't stop after 15 minutes of pressure, a possible broken jaw, or danger signs after a blow to the head.
Can a cracked tooth heal on its own?
No. A crack in a tooth doesn't heal the way a broken bone does. Treatment relieves pain and lowers the chance the crack spreads, though some cracked teeth can't be saved.
My tooth is chipped but doesn't hurt. Do I still need a dentist?
Yes, a chipped tooth still needs a dentist, though a small chip that doesn't hurt can usually wait for a regular appointment. Call sooner if it starts to hurt.
Does a cracked tooth have to be pulled?
Not always. Many cracked teeth are saved with a filling, a crown, or a root canal and a crown. According to the AAE, a tooth can't be saved once the crack extends below the gum line, and a split tooth can't be saved whole.
Do you take insurance for a cracked or broken tooth?
We accept PPO plans, including Aetna, Assurant, Cigna, Delta Dental, Guardian Direct, Humana and MetLife. We also offer financing and an in-office plan for patients without insurance.
Get your tooth looked at
Call (310) 926-6825. Our phone is answered 24/7, and we’ll tell you what to do right now and get you scheduled. You can also request an appointment online.
Our office is at 2511 Artesia Blvd A in Redondo Beach, close to Torrance, Hawthorne, Gardena and Manhattan Beach, with a parking lot on site.