This NHS content is written for people in England. Services, entitlements and contact routes may differ in other countries.
See a dentist if you or your child has:
- chipped, cracked or broken a tooth
If a piece of tooth has broken off, put it in milk or saliva (by spitting into a container if it's your tooth, or having your child spit into a container if it's theirs) and take it to a dentist. The dentist may be able to glue the piece of tooth back on.
Do not go to a GP. They will not be able to give you dental treatment.
What the dentist will do
Treatments for a chipped, broken or cracked tooth may include:
- gluing the fragment of tooth back on
- a filling or a crown (a cap that completely covers the broken tooth)
- root canal treatment for a badly broken tooth where the nerves are exposed
Chipped, broken or cracked tooth
A dentist can mend a chipped, broken or cracked tooth. Treatment can include a filling, crown, root canal or gluing a fragment of tooth back on.
Content supplied by the NHS website, refreshed 19 August 2026. View the original NHS article ↗
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