Broken or chipped tooth?

• you have a serious injury to your face or jaw
• bleeding from your mouth won't stop
• you have severe swelling and trouble breathing
• a head injury made you lose consciousness, be sick or see double

Don't drive yourself. If it's only your teeth, call us.

The NHS treats a knocked-out tooth as an emergency, even if you can't find the tooth. The sooner it's seen, the better the chance of saving it, ideally within 30 minutes to an hour.

1. Pick the tooth up by the crown, the white part. Don't touch the root.
2. If it's dirty, rinse it gently in milk or saline.
3. Try to push it back into the socket. Bite gently on a clean cloth to hold it in place.
4. If it won't go back, keep it in milk or in your mouth with your spit. Don't ask a young child to hold it in their mouth, as they may swallow it.
5. Call us on 01205 337 000 and we'll see you as soon as we can.

Don't push a baby tooth back in. It could harm the adult tooth growing under the gum. Keep it in milk if you can and call us for advice.

A small chip may not hurt, but see a dentist anyway. A chip can have sharp edges, and a crack can let germs in.

• Rinse your mouth gently with water.
• Keep any piece you can find in milk or spit, and bring it with you. Your dentist may be able to stick it back on.
• Eat soft food and avoid biting on the tooth.
• Ask a pharmacist about painkillers such as paracetamol or ibuprofen if you need one. Children under 16 shouldn't take aspirin.
• If a sharp edge is cutting your tongue or cheek, tell us when you call.

A GP can't give dental treatment, so call a dentist rather than your doctor.

• A small chip. Often a corner or edge of a front tooth. It may not hurt, but the rough edge can catch your tongue.
• A crack. It may be hard to see. You might feel pain when you bite, or a twinge with hot or cold drinks.
• A larger break. A big piece has come away. If it's very painful, the nerve inside may be exposed, so call us to be seen the same day.
• A broken filling or crown. The tooth under it can be weak or sensitive, so it's worth having it checked soon.

Teeth often break from a fall, a knock during sport, or biting something hard. Teeth with large fillings or old decay are weaker and break more easily. Grinding or clenching your teeth, often at night, can also wear teeth down and crack them.

Your dentist looks at the tooth and may take an X-ray. A small chip might be smoothed or repaired with composite bonding, or the broken piece stuck back on. A larger break might need a filling or a crown. If the inside of the tooth is hurt, you may need root canal treatment. A tooth that can't be saved may need to come out.

You'll get your options and the price of each before anything starts.

• Wear a mouth guard for contact sports.
• Don't bite on ice, pen lids, hard sweets or bottle tops.
• If you grind your teeth, tell your dentist, as grinding can wear and crack teeth.
• Keep up your check-ups, so weak fillings and cracks are found early.

The £25 covers your emergency appointment, where your dentist checks the damage and makes the tooth comfortable. If you need a repair, we'll tell you the cost before we start. “From” prices start at that amount and depend on your treatment. Your dentist will give you a written plan and price before any work starts. See all our prices.