A broken or chipped tooth is damage to the tooth structure that ranges from a small enamel chip to a deeper fracture exposing the inner layers.
Depending on the depth of the break, it can cause pain, sensitivity, or increase the risk of infection and may require urgent dental care.
A broken or chipped tooth may require urgent clinical assessment, depending on the depth of the damage, whether inner tooth layers are exposed, and the presence of pain, sensitivity, or swelling.
Emergency dental care focuses on assessing the extent of structural damage and determining whether immediate stabilisation is needed to prevent infection or further fracture. Our emergency dentistry care framework explains how symptoms such as broken teeth are evaluated, prioritised, and managed when urgency is uncertain.
Use the guide below to understand urgency.
Immediate dental emergency (seek care today):
Same-day urgent dental problem:
Possibly non-urgent (still needs assessment):
Small, painless chip with no sharp edges
Even minor-looking damage can worsen without treatment.
A tooth may crack, chip or break due to:
Even if the damage seems small, the underlying tooth may require urgent attention to prevent infection, sensitivity or worsening cracks.
Damage to a tooth can vary in depth, even when it looks similar on the surface.
A chipped tooth usually affects only the outer enamel layer and may cause a sharp edge or mild sensitivity.
A broken tooth involves deeper damage to the dentine or inner structure and is more likely to cause pain, sensitivity, or weakness when biting.
A fractured tooth or cracked cusp often extends below the surface and may not be immediately visible, but can cause pain when chewing and carries a higher risk of infection or nerve damage.
Because different types of damage require different treatments, professional assessment is important even if the tooth appears only slightly chipped.
Delaying treatment increases the risk of deeper damage, including progression into a cracked tooth that is more difficult to stabilise and treat.
Short-term risks:
Medium-term risks:
Severe outcomes:
Damage that appears minor can progress quickly if the inner tooth layers are exposed.In some cases, untreated damage can allow infection to spread, leading to facial swelling from dental infection that requires urgent care.
You Should:
Do NOT:
Treatment depends on the depth and location of the damage.
At Deepcar Dental, broken and chipped teeth are assessed by our clinical team, led by Dr Ibraheem Ijaz, GDC-registered Principal Dentist with advanced training in restorative and digital dentistry. Same-day assessment is available where clinically appropriate to stabilise the tooth and plan the most suitable restoration.
No. Some breaks are painless but still urgent if deeper layers are exposed.
Yes. Many chips can be repaired with composite bonding on the same day.
Yes. Trauma can cause hidden cracks or nerve damage.
If you’ve chipped or broken a tooth, early assessment helps prevent infection, pain, and further cracking.