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 Mortiboys Dental Spa 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 Mortiboys Dental Spa 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 Mortiboys Dental Spa 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 Mortiboys Dental Spa.

  • 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 Mortiboys Dental Spa 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 Mortiboys Dental Spa in East Horsley 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 01483 281428.

Meet the team

Ranya Kafena

Dentist

GDC NO. 73365

Marc Mortiboys

Dentist

GDC NO. 61939

Amit Gadhavi

Dentist / Periodontist

GDC NO. 67395

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Patient Reviews

People are talking about us

The biggest complement we receive is when our patients refer their friends and family to Mortiboys Dental Spa. 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

514 Reviews

5.0

4th December 2024

From the lovely welcome on arrival to the courteous and professional service received from all treatment staff over the last 15 + years, I could never go anywhere else. I have moved quite a distance away from the practice but the longer journey is worth it!

3rd December 2024

Lovely DentistSuperb highly skilled pain free hygiene treatmentExcellent reception staffgood parkingcomfortable in and out of treatment areasrelaxed atmosphere

3rd December 2024

Highly dedicated practitioners who are passionate about their work.

29th November 2024

The team are also so friendly and welcoming and really make you feel at ease.

28th November 2024

Excellent experience as was nervous about extraction and the risks and after care were well explained and I was calmed before extraction began (prob also helped that was very quick and painless)

28th November 2024

The fact that I was carefully listened to. That the first dentist I saw referred me for a second opinion sothat no unnecessary treatment took. Place.

22nd November 2024

EXCELLENT SERVICE FROM AMIT AND HIS NURSE KAREN, BOTH WERE VERY ATTENTIVE and listened to all my concerns and gave thorough answers

20th November 2024

Have been a patient for 24 years and already recommended several people to practice all of whom became patients. The team of Raj and Carly inspired confidence and Raj is clearly an excellent surgeon

19th November 2024

Friendly and professional.

16th November 2024

They made me feel quite calm, especially as I am a nervous patient

16th November 2024

Pleasant staff and atmosphere. The whole Holistic experience.

13th November 2024

The team made a huge effort to accommodate my lateness by re shuffling 3 appointments around, for which I am very grateful.

10th November 2024

Show clear and professional knowledge. Up to date equipment for diagnosing and treatments. Friendly staff, all making the time to connect with me first.

DT

Dan Thornton

My first visit to a dental hygienist and was a little anxious but Clare was brilliant and did a first class job on my teeth. It was a very satisfying experience to see and feel just how much they had been cleaned and polished. Clare has a relaxing and good humoured manner and clearly loves her job . I will definitely go more regularly. Dan

6th November 2024

Friendly, helpful, v gentle, effective.

6th November 2024

Everyone makes you feel welcome.

MH

Monica Hawley

First ever visit to a hygienist as I'm a nervous patient, but Clare was excellent at making me feel at ease and did a great job. I will definitely be coming back regularly as my teeth felt great afterwards.

2nd November 2024

The caring and kindness shown is perfect . The environment is very calming and relaxing .

31st October 2024

I have been a patient at Mortiboys for many years, having all kinds of dental work, including teeth cleaning, veneer work, root canal, implants and hygiene. My experience had always been of first class treatments, safety, hygiene and top class outcomes. The staff are friendly, caring and supportive. Staff know me and make me feel welcome and important. I would highly recommend Mortiboys to anyone. Thank you to all.

30th October 2024

Running on time.Very friendly. Treatment and service was what I needed/expected.

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