A dentist assesses whether the break is in enamel, dentine or the pulp, and whether the tooth can be bonded, filled or crowned. Call the same day if the nerve is exposed.
Find an emergency dentist →Emergency guide
A tooth has broken or cracked. What now?
A clean break with no pain can often wait a day or two. Pain when you bite down and release, or a break that exposes a pink centre, means the nerve is involved and needs to be seen within 24 hours.
See a dentist within 24–48 hours
Step by step
Do this now
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Rinse your mouth with warm salt water
This clears debris and reduces the chance of infection. Do not swish hard.
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Save any fragment
Keep pieces in milk or saline. A dentist can sometimes bond a clean fragment back on, especially on a front tooth.
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Stop bleeding with gentle pressure
Bite on clean gauze for ten minutes if the gum is bleeding. Bleeding from the tooth itself is a sign to call sooner.
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Cover a sharp edge
Dental wax from a pharmacy, or sugar-free gum in a pinch, stops the edge cutting your tongue or cheek.
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Avoid chewing on that side
A cracked tooth can split completely under load, which turns a $900 crown into an extraction and an implant.
Avoid
What not to do
- Gluing the fragment back on yourself
- Chewing on the broken tooth to 'test' it
- Ignoring pain when you release a bite — that is a cracked tooth
- Hot or very cold drinks on an exposed nerve
- Waiting weeks because it does not hurt much
Where to go
Dentist or emergency room?
Go to an emergency room for a broken jaw, a tooth pushed into the gum after a blow, uncontrolled bleeding, or any head injury alongside the dental damage.
What it costs
Treatment and price ranges
National benchmarks adjusted for Wisconsin, not quotes from a specific clinic. Ask for a written estimate before treatment starts.
Near you
Emergency dentists by city
Each city page lists verified dentists with phone numbers and hours, with the clinics that list emergency care shown first. Call before you travel — hours change.
Broken or cracked tooth — questions people ask
How do I know if it is a crack or a chip?
A chip loses a piece of tooth. A crack is a line you may not see, and the giveaway is sharp pain when you bite down and again when you release.
Can a cracked tooth be saved?
Sometimes. A crack that runs down the root usually means extraction. A crack in the crown can be held together with a crown, and often a root canal first.
Is a broken tooth an emergency?
It is urgent rather than life-threatening, unless there is heavy bleeding or a jaw injury. The sooner it is sealed, the lower the risk of infection and the better the chance of avoiding a root canal.
Can I eat on it?
No. Keep food off that side until a dentist has sealed or splinted it. Soft, cool food is easiest on an exposed nerve.
What if a piece is missing?
Bring it in milk or saline. Front-tooth fragments can sometimes be reattached; back-tooth fragments are usually rebuilt with composite or a crown.