Broken Tooth Emergency: What to Do Before You See a Dentist

Rinse your mouth with warm water, avoid chewing on the affected side, take over-the-counter pain relief if you need it, and contact an emergency dentist. A broken or cracked tooth is always considered a dental emergency, even when the pain seems manageable at first. Prompt care keeps bacteria from entering the tooth and causing an infection.

Yes. A broken or cracked tooth should be treated as a dental emergency even when it is not painful, because the crack gives bacteria a route into the tooth. Infection can develop well after the initial break, and a small chip is usually far simpler to repair than the damage that follows weeks of delay.

Many broken teeth can be saved, and the odds improve the sooner the tooth is stabilized. Same-day appointments are available to treat broken teeth and help prevent further damage or tooth loss. What is possible depends on how much tooth structure remains and whether the nerve is involved, which an exam and X-ray will determine.

Avoid chewing on the affected side, and steer clear of very hot, very cold, or hard foods that can stress the crack further. Do not try to file or reshape a sharp edge yourself. Rinse with warm water to keep the area clean, use over-the-counter pain relief if needed, and see a dentist rather than waiting to see whether it settles.