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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 Oakmead Dental Care 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 Oakmead Dental Care 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 Oakmead Dental Care 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 Oakmead Dental Care.

  • 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 Oakmead Dental Care 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 Oakmead Dental Care in East Grinstead 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 01342 325363.

Patient Reviews

People are talking about us

The biggest complement we receive is when our patients refer their friends and family to Oakmead Dental Care. 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…

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Patient reviews

1071 Reviews

5.0

18th May 2025

Seen in a timely manner, and staff were polite and helpful.

10th May 2025

Always Friendly, helpful and attentive service. Relaxing environment

8th May 2025

I have been a patient at Oakmead for thirty years. I have always and continue to receive an excellent standard of service delivery.

3rd May 2025

The Hygienist is excellent. Friendly and professional. The whole experience was very good.

2nd May 2025

I have been a patient for 25 years at this clinic as I am nervous of dentist .Andy Hopkins and team are the only reason I attend .Would be unhappy to see them go .

1st May 2025

I would not go anywhere else for my dental treatment. Andy and Jill at Oakmead are exceptional at putting me at my ease and making what I find a unpleasant duty to keep my teeth healthy a happy experience. The receptionists are always welcoming, professional and efficient. I cannot praise my experience over the years with the practice highly enough. If Andy and Jill retired I would be completely lost without there gentle kind and professional attitude towards keeping my teeth healthy.

29th April 2025

Very professional and clear on what was needed to mend a broken tooth. All staff very welcoming and friendly

28th April 2025

I have been seeing Mr Paul Cassidy for many years. He knows what I need!

27th April 2025

The dentist, Paul is excellent. I’ve been to a few dentists in the past and Paul is my favourite.

26th April 2025

Everyone is so kind and friendly, reassuring and patient. Thank you all!

26th April 2025

Disabled and team very helpful and ensured safety throughout visit

JO

Jax O'Sullivan

I always feel in safe hands, whether it’s for a general check-up, hygienist appointment or something else. You never feel rushed and from the moment you check in at the reception desk to seeing the dentist, the whole experience is calm and very pleasant. In my opinion, Oakmead Dental Care is the best.

26th April 2025

The staff in general, especially Mr Paul Cassidy (a most accomplished and caring a dentist) whom I look forward to greeting as a friend every six months. He does nothing unnecessary, and explains every procedure.

25th April 2025

Friendly, professional staff

24th April 2025

Friendly staff and the hygienist explained everything she was doing and constantly checked that I was ok.

24th April 2025

A very pleasant dental surgery with competent staff

24th April 2025

Seen on time, good outcome to visit and follow up treatment agreed.

23rd April 2025

Extremely nervous. Dental nurse was very supportive. Dr Hopkins explained the procedure.

20th April 2025

I needed help as a little brush which I use to clean between my teeth had broken during use and I could not retrieve it.Mr Hopkins kindly saw me and sorted me out!

19th April 2025

Mr cassidy he careing and looks after me I am disabled and he make sure i am okhe looks after all my family

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