Usually not, if there’s no pain, bleeding or sharp edge, though you should book soon. A broken tooth, severe pain, swelling or a knocked-out tooth needs urgent attention.
Chipped, Cracked or Broken Tooth: Repair Options and When It’s an Emergency
📍 6A The Parade, Windmill Road, Headington, Oxford OX3 7BL | 📞 01865 308050
When a tooth breaks, the first problem is knowing who to call: your dentist, NHS 111 or A&E. This guide sorts that out first, then explains how damaged teeth are repaired at John Miller Dental Practice in Headington.
Short answer: A small chip with no pain is rarely an emergency and can be repaired at a booked appointment. For severe pain, swelling, bleeding, a knocked-out tooth or a large break, call a dentist urgently. Go to A&E for a head or facial injury, difficulty breathing or swallowing, spreading swelling or uncontrolled bleeding. Repairs range from smoothing and cosmetic bonding to veneers, crowns and root canal treatment.
Call 999 or Go to A&E
- You’ve had a head or facial injury, or lost consciousness
- You’re struggling to breathe or swallow
- Swelling is spreading towards your eye or neck
- Bleeding won’t stop
In Oxford, the emergency department is at the John Radcliffe Hospital in Headington. Call 999 if you can’t get there safely.
Call Your Dentist Straight Away
- An adult tooth has been knocked out or pushed out of position
- You have severe or throbbing pain, swelling, a pimple on the gum or a bad taste
- A large piece of tooth has broken off
If we’re closed, call NHS 111 for urgent dental advice.
Call Us as Soon as You Can
- The tooth is broken or sensitive to hot, cold or biting
- A sharp edge is cutting your tongue or cheek
Book a Routine Appointment
- It’s a small, painless chip, though don’t leave it for weeks
Please check our contact page for current opening hours.
Knocked-Out Adult Tooth
Pick it up by the crown, not the root. Rinse it very briefly in milk or water, without scrubbing. Push it gently back into the socket if you can and bite on a clean cloth. If you can’t, keep it in milk. Call immediately. Never replant a baby tooth, as it can damage the adult tooth underneath. The NHS gives similar advice (NHS inform: broken or knocked-out tooth).
Until You’re Seen
Rinse gently with warm water, and use a cold compress on your cheek if it swells. Eat soft food on the other side. Take paracetamol or ibuprofen if suitable for you, following the pack instructions. Cover a sharp edge with sugar-free gum or dental wax, and keep any broken piece in milk. Please don’t use household glue or put aspirin against the gum.
Damage Possible Repair Tiny chip + Smoothing and polishing Small to medium chip on a visible tooth + Cosmetic bonding Larger chip on a front tooth, or shape and colour also need improving + Porcelain veneer Moderate break, a cracked cusp or a heavily damaged tooth + A filling, inlay or crown, as part of our family dental care Damage reaching the nerve + Root canal treatment, usually followed by a crown Tooth split below the gum, or beyond saving + Extraction, then a dental implant or other replacement We aim to use the least involved repair that will work well, so as much of your natural tooth as possible is kept.
Costs
John Miller Dental Practice is a private and NHS dentist. We’ll explain your options and costs before any treatment begins. See our prices page, our membership plans and our private dentist page.
Why Waiting Costs You More
Enamel can’t regrow, so a damaged tooth won’t heal on its own. Left alone, it can:
- crack further, turning a small repair into a crown or root canal treatment
- let decay reach the exposed tooth
- become infected if the nerve is exposed
- leave a sharp edge that keeps cutting your tongue or cheek
What Breaks Teeth?
- Hard food, ice, boiled sweets and olive stones
- Falls from a bike on Oxford’s busy roads and cycle lanes, or a trip on uneven pavements
- A run or walk at Shotover Country Park that ends in a stumble
- Contact sport, including rugby, football and hockey
- Grinding or clenching, often linked to stress
- Old fillings that have weakened the tooth around them
- Decay that has hollowed out the tooth
- Age, as teeth become more brittle
Protecting Your Teeth
- Wear a mouthguard for contact sport
- Ask us about a night guard if you grind
- Don’t use your teeth as tools
- Have old fillings checked at your regular check-up
- Treat decay early, and keep up with oral hygiene appointments
Children’s teeth often take knocks in the playground. Always have a damaged baby tooth checked.
Nervous About the Dentist?
If a broken tooth also brings back worries about dental visits, tell us when you call. We’ll explain each step and work at your pace.
Find Us in Headington
John Miller Dental Practice is at 6A The Parade, Windmill Road, Headington, Oxford OX3 7BL. Turn onto Windmill Road at the London Road traffic lights in Headington, and we’re in the shop parade opposite Regency Cleaners.
Parking is pay and display. Continue about 200 metres down Windmill Road and turn onto St Leonard’s Road, where the car park is on the left, or use the car park behind Waitrose. See how to get to us for full directions.
We welcome patients from Headington, Old Headington, Marston, Cowley, Risinghurst, Barton, Wheatley and Shotover.
If you’ve damaged a tooth, call 01865 308050 as early as you can and tell us it’s urgent. We aim to see patients with urgent problems as soon as we can.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is a chipped tooth a dental emergency?
What should I do if I break a tooth in Headington?
Rinse your mouth, keep any piece in milk, cover sharp edges, take suitable pain relief and call us on 01865 308050. If we’re closed, call NHS 111.
Is there an emergency dentist in Headington?
Call us as early as you can and tell us what’s happened. We aim to see patients with urgent problems as soon as we can. Out of hours, call NHS 111.
When should I go to A&E instead?
For a head or facial injury, difficulty breathing or swallowing, swelling that is spreading towards your eye or neck, or bleeding that won’t stop. Call 999 if you need to.
Can a chipped tooth be repaired?
Yes. Options include smoothing, bonding, veneers, fillings and crowns, depending on the damage.
What happens if I leave a chipped tooth?
It won’t heal, and the damage can spread, leading to decay, infection or a bigger repair.
How do I know if my tooth is cracked?
Signs include pain when you bite that eases when you let go, sensitivity to hot and cold, and pain that comes and goes. Cracks can be hard to see, so an examination is the only way to be sure.
Can a cracked tooth be saved?
Often, yes, with a crown, and sometimes root canal treatment, especially if caught early.
What if a tooth has been knocked out?
Hold it by the crown, rinse it briefly, push it back into the socket if you can or keep it in milk, and call us immediately. Never replant a baby tooth.
How much does it cost to repair a broken tooth?
It depends on the treatment and whether you choose NHS or private care. We’ll confirm costs before we begin.
Broken a Tooth? Call Us.
The sooner a damaged tooth is seen, the more of it we can usually save.
CALL 01865 308050 OR BOOK AN APPOINTMENT
John Miller Dental Practice, 6A The Parade, Windmill Road, Headington, Oxford OX3 7BL
