Chipped Front Tooth: Your Repair Options
For anyone with a chipped front tooth: how serious it is, when it needs urgent care, costs, and the repair options by size, from smoothing to bonding, veneers and crowns. NHS guidance says a chip is usually not serious, but to see a dentist.
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Clinically reviewed by Dr Ibraheem Ijaz, dentist · GDC 301711
Medical disclaimer: This page is for general information only. It does not replace an examination or treatment by a dentist.
Dr Ibraheem Ijaz, principal dentist at Deepcar Dental Care and a General Dental Practitioner, GDC 301711, reviewed this page.
How serious is a chipped front tooth?
NHS guidance says a chipped front tooth is usually not serious: make a non-emergency dental appointment. If it is badly broken, call your dental practice or 111.
A chip off the incisal (biting) edge may break only the enamel, the hard outer layer, while deeper ones reach the dentine or the pulp, the nerve at the centre.
Severity triage: which kind of chip is it?
Only an examination confirms how deep a chip goes; this table is a guide.
| What you notice | What it may involve | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| A small chip off the biting edge, no pain | Enamel only (an enamel fracture) | See a dentist (NHS non-urgent advice) |
| A larger chip showing the layer under the enamel | Enamel and dentine | See a dentist (NHS non-urgent advice) |
| A badly broken tooth | More than just a chip | NHS urgent route: call your dental practice or 111 |
| Sensitivity to air, cold or sweets, or a pink spot | The nerve may be exposed or very near the surface | NHS urgent route: call a dentist, or 111 if you have no dentist or cannot get an emergency appointment. Go to A&E if the area around your eye or neck is swollen, or swelling in your mouth or neck makes it hard to breathe, swallow or speak; ask someone to drive you or call 999 |
| Loose, moved or tender after a knock | Possible injury to the root or its support | Urgent route: call a dentist, or 111 if you have no dentist or cannot get an emergency appointment. IADT guidance says it should be checked for loosening or root fracture |
| The whole tooth knocked out | A knocked-out tooth | NHS: put an adult tooth back in place, or in milk, as soon as possible, and ask for an emergency dentist appointment. Never put a baby tooth back in |
How is a chipped front tooth fixed, by size of chip?
In general, an enamel chip can be smoothed, a deeper chip rebuilt with composite or its piece glued back, or a veneer or crown fitted.
Smoothing the edge (tooth recontouring)
Tooth recontouring evens out the edge around a small chip by removing a little enamel rather than adding material. International Association of Dental Traumatology (IADT) guidelines for adult teeth list smoothing as one option for an enamel-only chip, depending on its extent and location. Read about tooth recontouring.
Composite bonding
Composite bonding rebuilds the missing part of a chipped tooth in tooth-coloured composite resin, which IADT guidelines list for enamel chips and, over exposed dentine, for deeper ones. Direct composite bonding has a realistic lifespan of around five years, varying with the individual, their oral hygiene and their habits. Read about repairing a chip with composite bonding.
Veneers
A veneer is a thin porcelain or composite facing over the front of a tooth, and NHS guidance says veneers disguise a chipped tooth. Some need the front of the tooth drilled away a little, though not all do. Read about porcelain veneers.
Crowns
A crown is a cap that completely covers a tooth, and NHS guidance says crowns can be fitted where a tooth has broken.
Chip repair at Deepcar Dental Care
Broken and chipped tooth repair is a general dentistry service at Deepcar Dental Care. Cosmetic options at the practice include edge bonding for a single chipped tooth, composite veneers, porcelain veneers (minimal-preparation and no-preparation where suitable), tooth recontouring and reshaping, and ceramic crowns for cosmetic reasons.
To ask about repairing a chipped front tooth, book online or call 0114 288 2121.
What are the limits of chipped tooth repairs?
Recontouring a chip removes enamel, and NHS guidance says a tooth must be shaped before a crown is fitted. After a knock, IADT guidelines make follow-up checks mandatory and list loss or breakdown of the restoration, pulp necrosis (the nerve dying) and infection among unfavourable outcomes.
How much does it cost to fix a chipped front tooth?
Cost depends on which repair suits the tooth. The practice's fee list, checked on 17 October 2026, has these lines for options named here.
| Fee-list line | Fee as printed |
|---|---|
| Composite Bonding Per Tooth | From £300 |
| All Ceramic Crowns & Veneers | From £750 - £1000 |
Tooth recontouring and composite veneers have no line on the fee list.
When does a chipped front tooth need urgent attention?
A chipped front tooth needs urgent attention if it is badly broken or knocked out, the nerve may be showing, or a knock loosened it. For urgent dental treatment, NHS guidance is to call a dentist; if you do not have a dentist or cannot get an emergency appointment, call 111 or visit 111 online.
If a chipped tooth hurts, NHS toothache guidance says to see a dentist if you have toothache that lasts more than 2 days, that does not go away when you take painkillers, with a high temperature, pain when you bite, red gums or a bad taste in your mouth, or with a swollen cheek or jaw.
Go to A&E if you have toothache and the area around your eye or your neck is swollen, or swelling in your mouth or neck is making it difficult to breathe, swallow or speak. Do not drive to A&E: ask someone to drive you, or call 999 and ask for an ambulance.
For a knocked-out adult tooth, NHS guidance is to put it back in place, or in milk, as soon as possible and ask for an emergency dentist appointment, even if the tooth is lost. Never put a baby tooth back in. For pain, a sharp edge or an exposed nerve, read about a broken or painful tooth.
Frequently asked questions
Can I leave a chipped front tooth if it does not hurt?
Without pain, a chip is not usually urgent, but needs examining. A badly broken or loosened tooth, or exposed nerve, is urgent: call a dentist, or 111 if you cannot get an emergency appointment. For adult teeth, IADT advises checking a knocked tooth for loosening or root fracture, then at 6-8 weeks and 1 year, more often for some injuries.
Is fixing a chipped tooth available on the NHS?
NHS guidance says fillings and crowns are usually available on the NHS. Veneers are generally only available privately, unless you can show a clinical need for them. The NHS advises asking your dentist whether a recommended treatment is available on the NHS, and its cost, before you go ahead.
What should I do with the piece that broke off?
Keep it. NHS guidance is to put it in milk or saliva, spitting into a container if it is your tooth, and take it to a dentist, who may be able to glue it back on. Do not go to a GP, who cannot give dental treatment.
Should I whiten my teeth before a chip is repaired?
Whitening before composite bonding is optional, and whitening first and then bonding is one order Deepcar Dental Care offers. Whitening does not change the colour of existing crowns, veneers or fillings on your teeth. Our page on composite bonding explains the treatment itself.
Will a repaired front tooth match the teeth around it?
A repair's colour is chosen to blend with the neighbouring teeth, and Deepcar Dental Care uses digital shade matching to select it. Where needed, you may visit the laboratory for shade taking. How closely a repair blends varies with the tooth and the material.
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