Part of a front tooth snapped off, and you found the piece. Keep it moist in milk and bring it with you. From Erin or Hillsburgh, call us to describe the break and when it happened, and ask about assessment. A tooth knocked fully out of the mouth needs emergency dental care right away.
A fractured tooth is one of the most common results of a fall or knock. The break might take a sliver of enamel, expose the inner layers, or run below the gumline where you can’t see it. The same impact can also loosen or shift teeth, injure a root, or knock a tooth out entirely, and the lips and gums often take a share of the damage.
Pick up the phone soon after the injury. Describe how the break happened, roughly when, and whether you found any piece. If it’s a child, say whether you think the tooth is a baby or adult one. Mention other injuries too; a heavy blow to the head, face or jaw may mean hospital care comes first.
Talking it through helps establish what should happen next and when you might be seen. Please don’t wait on an emailed form. If the clinic can’t be reached or can’t offer care promptly, see another emergency dental provider, and treat a knocked-out permanent tooth as the most urgent case of all.
After checking that the person is otherwise all right, note when it happened and any first aid. If you can’t find a fragment or tooth, mention it; don’t assume it simply landed on the floor.
This is the most urgent case: get emergency dental help now. Touch only the crown. If dirty, rinse it briefly in milk or saline and don’t scrub. If you’re confident it’s permanent and it’s safe, slide it gently back into the socket and bite on clean gauze; otherwise keep it in milk and bring it.
Never replant a knocked-out baby tooth. If you can’t be sure of the type, keep it in milk and get professional advice straight away. Don’t let a child hold a tooth or fragment in their mouth, where it could be swallowed or inhaled.
Call promptly and describe the break, any change in the tooth’s position and how your bite feels. Don’t keep running your tongue or finger over it, and don’t force a moved tooth back. Store the fragment in milk. Ask where it should be assessed and mention other symptoms.
Some injuries belong in a hospital first. Dial 911 or go to emergency if the person is struggling to breathe, bleeding heavily without pause, has major facial or jaw trauma, or shows head-injury signs like fainting, vomiting or seeing double.
The first appointment should establish the extent of the fracture as far as the findings allow and protect anything that needs protecting now. Ask which teeth and tissues are involved and what has been done to shield them. A small enamel chip and a break that reaches deeper, or a tooth that has also moved, need different responses.
Some aspects of a fractured tooth only become clear over time. A tooth that feels fine after it has been covered or repaired can still develop changes that later reviews are designed to catch. Ask why follow-up is planned and who to contact if anything changes before your next visit.
Patient information: American Association of Endodontists — updated trauma guidance and ongoing monitoring
Hand over the fragment, and tell the dentist when and where it was found and how it was stored. Timing, cause and first aid all shape decisions. Say what you know rather than guessing. If someone else looked at the tooth first, bring their notes.
Baby teeth, a child’s permanent tooth that is still maturing and a fully developed adult tooth may each be repaired differently. Ask how your tooth’s stage changes the advice. Two breaks that look alike won’t always be handled the same way.
Ask what later visits will check and whether the plan might change. Reviews track healing and can pick up complications not evident at the start. They deserve attention before the conversation turns only to colour and shape.
A broken tooth might be examined and covered in one visit, stabilized if it has also moved, or referred on. Ask which steps are needed now and which can wait until more is known.
Describe the time and cause, any first aid and any treatment so far. Mention other missing pieces or teeth, health conditions, medicines and allergies. If you were assessed medically for other injuries, share what was found.
The dentist examines the fractured tooth, nearby teeth and soft tissue, and may take X-rays or run tests where they’re useful. Ask which teeth will be followed, including those that look undamaged. If a referral is advised, you should hear why.
Go over the proposed care, how discomfort will be managed, other options and costs. That may mean covering the break, reattaching or rebuilding the tooth, repositioning a moved tooth, or planning further care. Ask whether today’s work is a first stage.
Confirm how to clean, what to eat, which activities to avoid and when to return. Find out who to call if the repair or tooth needs attention. Keep the details somewhere handy, especially if care is shared.
Home care depends on the injury, the tooth and the treatment you had. A bonded fragment, a temporary covering, a splint or an injured baby tooth can each come with their own routine and review timing.
Ask which foods to avoid and how to brush near the repair or any splint. Don’t bite into hard things with that tooth or test the repair’s strength. Call if the advice is hard to follow, or a covering feels rough, loose or chipped.
Report increasing pain, sensitivity that worsens, swelling, drainage, a different bite or any new concern. Give the injury date and what was done. The team can say whether the planned review still fits or an earlier visit is wise.
Hold on to details of the first repair and share them if another clinician is involved later. Ask about forms you may need for school, an employer, sport or an insurer. Records support continuity, while the reviews focus on healing.
For a fresh break, the phone is faster than this page, and 911 is there for true emergencies. Treat these answers as preparation; the examination is what decides treatment.
Phone our Bronte Street practice about a broken or injured tooth and ask what assessment is available. Tell us when it happened and whether you found any fragment. If you need help straight away and we can’t be reached, contact another emergency dental provider.
Online forms are only for non-urgent enquiries. What treatment you receive, any referral, review visits, fees and whether the tooth survives are all settled after assessment; neither a result nor a same-day appointment is promised.
