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Looking for a caring and professional dental practice? We’re excited to welcome new patients to our clinic! Whether you’re due for a check-up, need treatment, or are looking to enhance your smile, our friendly team is here to help.
Contact us today to book your first appointment—we look forward to meeting you!

Broken teeth

Our teeth are very strong but despite this, the stresses and strains of our everyday life can still cause them to chip, crack or break.

Common cause of these breaks can include:

  • Chewing on hard foods
  • Facial trauma following an accident
  • Damage from a sports injury
  • Untreated cavities causing the tooth to become brittle and break
  • Old, large amalgam fillings, where the remaining structure of the natural tooth can become brittle

Broken teeth can cause varying degrees of pain, from extremely painful, to discomfort triggered by hot or cold foods or drink, even to no signs of immediate pain. However, in order to prevent further damage or infection which could result in the loss of the tooth, it’s important to book an appointment with your Hadleigh Dental Surgery dentist as soon as possible.

Treatment of a broken or chipped tooth will depend on how severely it is damaged. For small breaks or chips it may be possible to repair in a single visit with a simple filling or bonding. For more severe breaks, multiple visits may be required to repair the break with multiple treatments.

Treatment for fractures and broken teeth

Teeth with minor chips on the edges usually don’t cause any pain or problems, but your Hadleigh Dental Surgery dentist will most likely repair a chip by smoothing the edge and inserting a tooth-coloured filling to prevent it from cutting your lips or tongue.

Heavily fractured and seriously broken teeth may need more complex treatment. For instance, a large cavity that causes a major fracture or break, causing pain and infection, may need root canal treatment. Cracks and breaks may expose your nerve endings, making the teeth sensitive to hot and cold air and foods.

Root canal treatment isn’t always necessary if your teeth are chipped or broken, though. Where there’s no pain or infection, cracks are filled and bound together with a specialised tooth cement, while a broken tooth will be fixed with a crown. Crowns are also used as part of the treatment for other types of splits and breaks, such as broken cusps, split roots/vertical breaks, split molars, and as a buttress against further cracks. If your tooth has decayed from the inside-out and is now broken, your Hadleigh Dental Surgery dentist may recommend that your tooth is removed.

Sometimes, if you have a cracked or broken tooth, it may not be noticeable because it doesn’t hurt. But no matter how minor these problems are, they should still be investigated by your dentist, as infections can arise if the problem isn’t treated with antibiotics. The best course of action is, as always, a good oral hygiene regime and regular reviews with the dentist.

What to do if you break your tooth

If you’ve fractured or broken a tooth, follow these steps immediately before booking an appointment with Hadleigh Dental Surgery.

  • Rinse your mouth out with warm water
  • Apply pressure on any bleeding areas using gauze or a wet teabag
  • Apply an icepack to your cheek if there’s any swelling
  • If you have access to it, cover any major cracks with temporary dental cement
  • If it’s painful, use an over the counter pain reliever such as paracetamol
  • Cover any broken teeth with milk, saliva or saline solution

As with any teeth problems, if you have fractured or chipped a tooth it's important to book an appointment at Hadleigh Dental Surgery to see a dentist as soon as possible, rather than waiting for routine dental health review. We will discuss the best method of repairing the break with you.

At Hadleigh Dental Surgery in Hadleigh we use resin composite fillings to match the colour of your teeth and ensure a long-lasting and natural-looking result. We also offer porcelain crowns, inlays and onlays as successful options for repairing cracked, broken, decayed or heavily filled teeth. They are hardwearing and can be colour-matched perfectly to your own teeth.

If you would like to discuss concerns with any broken or chipped teeth give us a call on 01473 823092.

Patient Reviews

People are talking about us

The biggest complement we receive is when our patients refer their friends and family to Hadleigh Dental Surgery. In fact, we have built much of our practice on these valued, trusted recommendations over the years. Read our reviews to hear why our patients are recommending us…

Patient reviews

734 Reviews

5.0

24th April 2025

Everyone is so professional and kind.Always got time for a chat.

23rd April 2025

Friendly , efficient service and treatment from all staff both clinical and clerical.

22nd April 2025

The atmosphere is professional but relaxed. Everything is explained or discussed in a clear way and I always feel that I know what is happening with my teeth.

21st April 2025

Efficient and courteous

17th April 2025

The hygienist was professional, friendly and very efficient.

16th April 2025

Friendly staff, very clean, hygienist was very nice and listened to my concerns. Didn't have to wait very long for my appointment

9th April 2025

I have been a patient for many years and my experience at the surgery has always been excellent. I have no reason to not be anything other than highly satisfied.

8th April 2025

Professional service, friendly staff and very clean surroundings

5th April 2025

Very experienced and friendly staff. Very clearly explained options and always happy to answer all questions or concerns.

4th April 2025

Fantastic staff, good prices, I feel very looked after when I visit. Lovely and clean.

3rd April 2025

Professional staff. Courteous and calm.

3rd April 2025

I rang on Monday, explained my problem and that I was away but back on Wednesday . Within an hour the reception team rang offering appointment on Wednesday .

3rd April 2025

Great staff with time to listen. Receptionist was very pleasant, I was well received and shown where to wait (I hadn’t seen the hygienist before). My treatment was thorough and well explained. I would highly recommend the surgery

3rd April 2025

Professional, friendly and great services.

3rd April 2025

All concerned were very helpful, being a long standing patient made even more so

2nd April 2025

Mr Wilson is professional and efficient

2nd April 2025

Always highly satisfied with Mr. Wilson.

29th March 2025

The whole appointment was dealt with ease.

28th March 2025

It was lovely to see an existing member of staff on reception as I hadn’t been for many years but she soon put me at ease and made me welcome.The dentist and dental nurse soon reassured me as I said I was a nervous patient but every thing he did was explained to me thoroughly and I had the opportunity to say if I was happy with the treatment plan.

28th March 2025

Everyone was polite , friendly in all departments. The place is clean and welcoming. Everything was explained and easily understood. Very satisfied.

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