Broken teeth on holiday are usually a bottle opened the wrong way, an unexpected bone or shell in a meal, a scooter, or a pool edge. The repair depends entirely on how deep the break goes, which is not something you can judge from the mirror.
First: is the whole tooth out?
If a tooth has been completely knocked out, this is the one dental situation where minutes decide the outcome.
- Find it. Pick it up by the crown, never the root.
- Do not scrub it. If it is dirty, rinse it briefly in milk or saline. Water damages the root surface cells.
- Put it back in the socket if you can, right way round, and bite gently on a clean cloth to hold it.
- If you cannot, keep it in milk. Saliva — inside the cheek, if the patient is conscious and old enough not to swallow it — is the next best. Never in water and never dry in a tissue.
- Get to a dentist within the hour. Chances of the tooth surviving fall sharply after that.
Baby teeth are the exception: a knocked-out milk tooth is not put back, because it can damage the adult tooth developing above it. Take the child to be seen, but leave the tooth out.
If it is chipped or broken
Rinse with warm water, keep any fragment — a clean broken piece can sometimes be bonded straight back on — and take a painkiller if needed. Cover a sharp edge with sugar-free chewing gum or orthodontic wax if it is cutting your tongue.
Then look at what has happened:
A small chip on the edge, no pain. Enamel only. Rebuilt with composite in one visit, usually within the hour, and often invisible afterwards.
A larger break, sensitive to cold and air. Into the dentine. Needs covering — composite for a moderate break, or a crown or veneer if a lot of structure is gone.
Deep break, bleeding from the middle of the tooth, severe pain. The pulp is exposed. This needs root canal treatment and then a crown. It is urgent, and it is treatable.
Broken at the gum line, or the tooth moves. Possibly a root fracture. Needs an X-ray to know whether it can be saved.
Which repair, and how long
| Damage | Usual repair | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Small enamel chip | Composite bonding, polish | 1 visit, under an hour |
| Chip with the fragment kept | Fragment re-bonded | 1 visit |
| Moderate break, dentine exposed | Composite build-up or veneer | 1–2 visits |
| Large break, most of the crown gone | Crown | 2 visits, ~1 week |
| Pulp exposed | Root canal, then crown | 2–3 visits |
| Knocked out | Re-implant and splint | Immediate, then follow-up |
Do not wait until you get home
Two reasons. A break that has exposed dentine is an open route for bacteria, and every day increases the chance the nerve gets involved — turning a one-visit composite repair into root canal treatment and a crown. And a sharp edge cuts your tongue and lip, which is a small misery that lasts the whole trip.
There is also a practical one: a temporary fix here means you fly home with a sealed tooth rather than a sensitive one — see flying after dental treatment.
If you are seeing a dentist tomorrow, not today
- Chew on the other side entirely.
- Avoid very hot and very cold food and drink.
- Keep the area clean — brush gently, do not avoid it.
- Cover a sharp edge with sugar-free gum or wax.
- Take ordinary painkillers if needed, and do not pack aspirin against the gum.
- Keep any fragment in milk or saline, not dry.
Call rather than email if it happened today. We keep appointment time free for exactly this.
Can a broken tooth be fixed in one visit?
A chip or a moderate break, usually yes, with composite bonding. If a crown is needed it takes two visits about a week apart.
What do I do with a knocked-out tooth?
Handle it by the crown, rinse briefly in milk if dirty, put it back in the socket if you can, otherwise keep it in milk, and get to a dentist within an hour.
Can a knocked-out tooth be saved?
Often, if it is re-implanted quickly — the first hour matters most. It is then splinted to the neighbouring teeth and monitored.
My broken tooth does not hurt. Do I still need it treated?
Yes. Exposed dentine lets bacteria in, and a painless break today can become root canal treatment in a fortnight.
Should I keep the broken piece?
Yes — keep it moist in milk or saline. A clean fragment can sometimes be bonded straight back onto the tooth.
Still not sure?
Tell us what is bothering you and we will tell you what it would take to fix — before you book anything.
