Whether a broken tooth is an emergency depends on what is exposed. A small enamel chip with no pain can usually wait a day or two, while a fracture exposing the soft inner pulp is painful and needs prompt attention to prevent infection.
We match you with a vetted Enfield dentist who can assess and stabilise a broken tooth. Keep any pieces, follow the first aid below, and use the form on this page.
How urgent is it?
Use sensitivity and pain as your guide. Sharp pain to cold or air, or visible pink or red at the centre of the break, suggests the pulp is involved and you should be seen quickly.
- No pain, small chip: usually not an emergency, but get it smoothed and checked.
- Sensitive to cold or sweet: see a dentist within a day or two.
- Throbbing, or pink visible in the break: prompt, same-day care.
- Sharp edge cutting your tongue or cheek: protect it and be seen soon.
Safe first aid and temporary protection
Rinse gently with warm water and keep any fragments in milk in case the dentist can use them. A sharp edge can be covered with orthodontic wax or sugar-free chewing gum to stop it cutting your tongue until you are seen.
Cracked teeth that look intact
A cracked tooth can hurt sharply when you bite and release, yet look normal. Cracks tend to spread, so it is worth having pain on biting assessed rather than waiting for the tooth to break further.
Dental trauma: common questions
Related emergencies
This is a dental matching service, not a medical service
For genuine medical emergencies — uncontrolled bleeding, facial swelling spreading to your eye, throat or neck, difficulty breathing or swallowing, or feeling severely unwell — these are hospital problems and need IV antibiotics, not a dental appointment.