A chipped or broken tooth can happen in a second: biting an olive pip, a fall on the footpath, a knock at weekend sport. Some breaks hurt straight away. Others don’t hurt at all but leave a sharp edge or a gap. Either way, it’s worth having the tooth checked soon, because a crack can let bacteria reach the inner part of the tooth.
This guide explains what to do in the first few hours, how urgent different breaks are, and what treatment may involve at Hornsby Dental’s emergency appointments.
What to do straight away
- Rinse your mouth gently with warm water to clean the area.
- Keep any pieces of tooth in a clean container with milk or saliva and bring them with you.
- Use a cold compress on your cheek for 10 minutes at a time if there is swelling.
- Cover a sharp edge with sugar-free chewing gum or dental wax from a pharmacy so it doesn’t cut your tongue or cheek.
- Take over-the-counter pain relief if needed, following the directions on the packet. Don’t put tablets directly on the gum.
- Chew on the other side and avoid very hot, cold or hard food until you have been seen.
How urgent is it?
Call us the same day if:
- the break is large, or you can see pink or red in the middle of the tooth
- the tooth is painful, sensitive to air, or throbbing
- the tooth feels loose or has moved
- a crown, veneer or large filling has come off
A small chip with no pain is less urgent, but it’s still worth booking in within a few days so the edge can be smoothed or repaired before it chips further.
Go to a hospital emergency department or call 000 if you have a serious facial injury, facial swelling that is spreading, difficulty breathing or swallowing, or bleeding that won’t stop.
What treatment may involve
Your dentist will examine the tooth and usually take an x-ray to check the root and the nerve. Treatment depends on how much tooth is lost and whether the nerve is affected. Options can include:
- Smoothing or bonding for small chips, using tooth-coloured filling material.
- A tooth-coloured filling for moderate breaks. At Hornsby Dental, fillings range from $170 to $550 depending on size and surfaces.
- A porcelain crown when a large part of the tooth is missing, from $1,800.
- Root canal treatment if the nerve is damaged or infected, from $800 to $2,500, plus the final restoration.
- Extraction if the tooth can’t be saved, from $200 to $600. Your dentist will talk you through replacement options.
These are guide prices from our price list. Your dentist will explain your options and the cost before any treatment starts. All dental treatment carries risks, and your dentist will discuss them with you.
Using your health fund
If you have extras cover, we claim on the spot with HICAPS so you only pay the gap. Hornsby Dental is a Bupa Members First, Medibank Members’ Choice, NIB First Choice and Westfund Provider of Choice practice. See our health fund page for details.
Getting to us
We are at Suite 21/14 Edgeworth David Avenue, Hornsby, about three minutes’ walk from Hornsby station, with free street parking nearby. We are open Monday to Friday 9am to 6pm and Saturday 8:30am to 4pm.
Chipped or broken a tooth? Call (02) 8090 1100, ideally before 10am, and we’ll do our best to see you the same day, or book online.